The stage is set for a thrilling encounter at the iconic Adelaide Oval as the Proteas Women take on Australia in the first of three one-day internationals (ODI) on Saturday, 03 February in Adelaide.
The first ODI will be broadcast live on SuperSport Cricket (Channel 212) from 14h10 local time and 05h40 SAST.
Laura Wolvaardt, as the South African captain and Adelaide Strikers player in the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, shared her thoughts in the pre-match press conference ahead of the exciting clash.
"It's awesome. I love being back in Adelaide. Obviously, really nice having played here a couple of times just to know the conditions. I can share my knowledge with my teammates and hopefully, it does us well for the game tomorrow,” the opening batter commented.
Wolvaardt's familiarity with the Adelaide Oval could prove to be a valuable asset for South Africa as they look to navigate the challenging conditions in the series opener. The current world No 3 in the ICC Women’s ODI Rankings emphasized the need to adapt to the bounce and pace of The Oval, highlighting the significance of the team's preparation ahead of the match.
"I think it's a lot more bouncy than what we're used to at home. We had a good hit-out in the nets at the back and just getting used to the pace and bounce. Especially this time of the year, we were on quite slow wickets at home, so it’s just about adjusting to the conditions. The outfield looks beautiful, so I'm sure it'll be nice.
The 24-year old also revealed the team's strategy to counter the bouncy conditions, focusing on shot selection and bowler adjustments.
"It’s about using different options. Maybe playing a bit squarer and practising our short ball stuff. I'm sure they'll throw a lot of that as well. It’s just about figuring out the lengths for the bowlers as well. They might have to bowl a touch fuller than they normally do,” she added.
Reflecting on the 2-1 T20I series loss, Wolvaardt expressed satisfaction with the team's performance and highlighted the confidence gained from their competitive outings along with earning their first-ever triumph over the Australians in the second match.
“It was a good competitive series for us; taking most games to the last over and getting the one win. Obviously, I would have liked to just be a bit better in the simple things in that last game, just to give ourselves a better chance but overall it was a very competitive series, and I'm pretty happy with how it went.”
Adding another layer of intrigue to the match are the historical head-to-head statistics between the two sides across 1997 - 2022. In the 15 matches played between the nations, Australia has dominated with 14 victories, while South Africa has managed one tied match against the Aussies in November 2016.
The last 50-over encounter between the two countries which took place in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 saw Australia emerge victorious by five wickets in Wellington, New Zealand, with Meg Lanning's 135* off 130 balls overshadowing Wolvaardt's resilient 90 off 134 deliveries.
Wolvaardt emphasized the mental significance of breaking the barrier against Australia, particularly in crucial tournaments.
“It's huge. Especially in World Cups, I think we often face them in a semifinal or a final. Having that knowledge that we've never ever beaten them normally doesn't do us too well. but hopefully now that we have that one win against them, we can come hard in this ODI series,” the skipper said.
The host nation currently holds a 4-2 lead in the multi-format series with 10 points still on offer. (6 points for ODIs and 4 for the test).
PROTEAS WOMEN SQUAD (T20I & ODI) - MULTI-FORMAT TOUR TO AUSTRALIA
Laura Wolvaardt (Fidelity Titans, Captain), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Nadine de Klerk (Western Province), Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions), Delmi Tucker (Western Province)
RESULTS:
T20 Warm-Up
Governor-General XI beat South Africa by 4 wickets
South Africa: 149/7 after 20 overs; N. de Klerk 48* (24), C. Tryon 39 (29); C. Sippel 2/20, C. Ainsworth 2/31
Governor-General XI: 150/6 after 19.2 overs; S. Molineux 59 (41), T. Flintoff 42 (27); M. Klaas 3/16, A. Khaka 2/29
T20I Series v Australia
1st T20I
Australia beat South Africa by 8 wickets
South Africa: 147/6 after 20 overs; T. Brits 59* (54), S. Luus 19 (17); E. Perry 2/13, D. Brown 2/20
Australia: 149/2 after 19.1 overs; B. Mooney 72* (57), A. Healy 46 (28); M. Kapp 1/25, N. de Klerk 1/25
2nd T20I
South Africa beat Australia by 6 wickets
Australia: 142/6 after 20 overs; G. Harris 31* (18), A. Healy 29 (24); M. Klaas 2/16, N. Mlaba 1/18
South Africa: 144/6 after 19 overs; L. Wolvaardt 58* (53), T. Brits 41 (28); A. Gardner 2/26, T. McGrath 1/16
3rd T20I
Australia beat South Africa by 5 wickets
South Africa: 162/7 after 20 overs; M. Kapp 75 (48), C. Tryon 26 (16); T. McGrath 1/17, G. Wareham 1/25
Australia: 163/5 after 19.2 overs; B. Mooney 82 (55), A. Gardener 26 (17); M. Klaas 1/13, C. Tryon 1/23
FIXTURES – PROTEAS WOMEN MULTI-FORMAT TOUR TO AUSTRALIA
ODI Series v Australia:
Saturday, 03 February @ 14h10 – 1st ODI – Australia v South Africa (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Wednesday, 07 February @ 14h40 – 2nd ODI – Australia v South Africa (North Sydney Oval, Sydney)
Saturday, 10 February – @14h40 3rd ODI – Australia v South Africa (North Sydney Oval, Sydney)
Test Match v Australia:
15 – 18 February @ 11h00 – Only test – Australia v South Africa (WACA Ground, Perth)