Never say dry – Proteas women secure draw against England as rear-guard action and rain save one-off Test

The Proteas women proved their fighting spirit with an excellent rear-guard defensive masterclass to ensure a draw against an England side desperately fighting for a win at County Ground in Taunton.

Nobody encapsulated the team’s desire to put up a fight in their first Test match since 2014 like the diminutive Tumi Sekhukhune.

Coming in to bat late on day three, as nightwatcher, with the Proteas in the precarious position of 45 for three, Sekhukhune showed her mettle, batting all the way to the close of play on day four, scoring 33 runs while facing a mammoth 134 balls. An exceptional effort from the regular number ten batter – who also faced 39 balls for her nine runs in the first innings – to help her side secure a draw.

“I think if Tumi’s innings didn’t show the character and the fight [of the team] and didn’t persuade a lot of people back home then I don’t know what’s going to,” said Proteas skipper Suné Luus after the match.

However, while Sekhukhune was seemingly the protagonist of a thrilling tale waiting to be written, it was, as it has been so many times, the rainy weather in England that was the main antagonist in a Test match seemingly destined for an exciting finish.

“You’d always love to have four days of sunshine, but I guess we’re playing in England so you’re not always going to get that,” said Luus.

With 100 overs scheduled for each of the four days, the weather ensured only 88 were completed across the final two days – a damp ending to a match the Proteas women have waited eight years to play.

As it happened

With some cloud cover, South Africa were asked to bat by England captain Heather Knight on day one. Facing a swinging red Dukes ball in slightly overcast weather proved tough going for the Proteas batters initially as they slumped to 45 for four within 20 overs.

Read in Daily Maverick: “SA’s Marizanne Kapp strikes sensational 150 in England Test”

Marizanne Kapp then played what she describes as the best innings of her career, smashing the highest Test score by a South African – 150 off 213 deliveries – as she guided the tail to a respectable 284 all out.

The weather began to clear and the pitch flattened out on day two as the hosts piled on the runs. England were initially halted by the right-arm medium pace of Anneke Bosch who managed to extract some away swing movement as she picked up three top-order wickets.

However, senior player Natalie Sciver and debutant Alice Davidson-Richards struck excellent centuries on their way to 207 runs in a sixth-wicket partnership.

Kate Cross of England celebrates the wicket of the Proteas' Suné Luus on day four of the Test at County Ground in Taunton on 30 June 2022. (Photo: Kieran McManus / Shutterstock / BackpagePix)