Proteas Women announce strong squad for One-Off Test against England

The Proteas Women named a strong squad as they gear up to face off against England in a one-off Test match in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

Currently involved in a heated One Day International series that is on a knife-edge level at 1-1, the Proteas will soon shift their focus to the longer format of the game, and on Tuesday they named a 15-player squad to take on England in a four-day match at the Mangaung Oval.

England’s 417/8 (declared) was not enough as the Proteas managed to hang on to a nail-biting draw at the County Cricket ground in Taunton in 2022.

South Africa will play their first Test on home soil since they last lost by 10 wickets against India in Paarl during the 2001/02 season. Tumi Sekhukhune has been added to the side after she missed out on the white-ball series in place of Ayabonga Khaka, who has opted out of playing the longer format.

There will also be returns for Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, and Chloe Tryon, who all make a comeback after missing out in South Africa’s 1-0 loss against India earlier this year.

Coach Mandla Mashimbyi is excited about what lies ahead and the learnings the red ball game will bring to his side.

“I'm excited. It will go a long way for the ladies in terms of them understanding their game and what's needed in the longer version of the game,” said Mashimbyi.

“Getting an opportunity to play red-ball is good for our cricket, and I'm looking forward to what they can bring.

“The measurables are quite simple for me; it's how much time you are willing to spend in the crease as a batter and how patient you are willing to be as a bowler.

“So it's all those things that we're going to speak about, and if we can see it coming to fruition during the game, that will give us a big plus.”

Proteas Women Test Squad - Inbound Tour against England (2024/25)

Laura Wolvaardt (Captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, and Chloé Tryon.