Floundering Proteas women stare down the barrel of massive Test loss against Australia

Australia piled on the misery with the bat against South Africa, declaring on 575 for the loss of nine wickets late on day two of the only Test match between the two nations.

The Aussie women clubbed a massive 324 additional runs to their overnight total of 251 to bat South Africa out of the game. They reduced the Proteas women to 76 all out on day one and then 67 for the loss of three wickets on the second day.

The Proteas women face an almost impossible task of scoring at least 432 runs to make Australia bat again, having already lost their top order.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Australia punish inexperienced Proteas women on opening day of Test match

Aussie all-rounder Annabel Sutherland (210) was the star of the show for the hosts, smashing a brilliant double century. The 22-year-old was ably supported by the lower order as Ashleigh Gardner (65), Sophie Molineux (33) and Kim Garth (49 not out) all contributed with the willow.

After knocking over Australia’s top order on day one, Masabata Klaas could not repeat her heroics on the second day — going wicketless on Friday.

Instead, it was Chloe Tryon who picked up three scalps, including that of Alana King which caused Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy to declare on 575 — the highest-ever score in a women’s Test match — and allow for just under a session to bowl to the teetering South African batters.

Annabel Sutherland of Australia. (Photo: Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Examination by swing

Garth and Darcie Brown, who took a five-wicket haul in the first innings, once again closely examined the Proteas’ batting techniques with delightful swing bowling.

Garth got the opening breakthrough, nicking off Anneke Bosch without scoring for the second time in the match.

Suné Luus’ stay at the crease was brief, playing away from her body to edge behind and provide Garth with her second scalp of the match.

Skipper Laura Wolvaardt struggled with the movement too and was lucky to survive a dropped catch by Molineux at third slip before eventually edging behind to Healy off the bowling of Brown.

At 13 for three, the Proteas were staring down the barrel at a possibly humiliating loss of an innings and more than 400 runs. But Tazmin Brits (18 not out) and Delmi Tucker (27 not out) dug in for the last 20 overs before the end of the day’s play.

Tazmin Brits of the Proteas women squad bats during day two of the Test. (Photo: Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The pair put on 54 runs for the fourth wicket, showing patience by leaving well outside the off stump — something the Proteas batters have failed to do in the Test match thus far.

“The two batters that batted out there showed that you need to leave a lot more, you need to be solid in defence and your technical game is going to be tested a lot more than in the white-ball game,” all-rounder Nadine de Klerk said after the day’s play.

“You need to apply yourself and be patient.

“A lot of our batters got out fishing outside off, nicking off to wide balls because it’s the instinct you go on,” De Klerk said.

“[Instinctively] you try and score quickly because that’s what you do in the white-ball game.”

Nonetheless, the Proteas have not given up hope that one of their batters can play a nuggety Test innings on day three tomorrow.

“It’s going to be harder out there to bat, you need to bat for longer periods of time,” De Klerk said. “You need to do what Annabel Sutherland did basically and hopefully get a batter that puts their head down and bats for a really long time.” DM