At the WACA in Perth, Australia bowled out South Africa for 76, their lowest total in women’s Test matches.
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South Africa ran into early trouble after Alyssa Healy opted to field in the one-off Test match. Darcie Brown removed Anneke Bosch and Laura Wolvaardt, the South African openers, with her fourth and seventh balls to reduce the tourists to 5-2.
Sune Luus and Tazmin Brits added 27 before Annabel Sutherland trapped the debutants, Brits and Delmi Tucker, with consecutive balls. The hat-trick was evaded, but Luus (26) followed soon, and South Africa collapsed to 57-9 in no time.
No.10 Masabata Klaas and No.11 Ayanda Hlubi, both debutants as well, added 19 for the last wicket. Barring Luus, Klaas (10 not out) was the only South African to reach double figures. Brown finished with 5-21, the best figures for Australia Women at home since Lesley Johnston in 1971/72; Sutherland with 3-19; and Tahlia McGrath with 2-4.
This is the lowest total in women’s Test cricket for South Africa. Their previous lowest of 89 came at Durban in 1971/72 against New Zealand.
Overall, there have been only 11 lower team totals in women’s Test cricket. Of these, only two were since 1979. In the second Test match in their history, Pakistan were bowled out for 53 (and 86) against Ireland at Dublin in 2000; and the Netherlands made 108 and 50 against South Africa at Rotterdam in 2007 in their only Test match, where they famously did not hit a single boundary across two innings.
At 31.2 overs, South Africa’s innings was also the fourth-shortest in history. While two of the top three came in 1934/35 and 1957/58, the shortest all-out innings remains England’s 27.3 overs at Navi Mumbai two months ago. They made 131 on that occasion.
Klaas struck thrice with her first 17 balls to reduce Australia to 12-3 in response, but they had recovered to 84-3 at that time of writing. At the crease were Beth Mooney (37) and Healy (36).
