Proteas women to play first Test in eight years on England tour

Johannesburg - South Africa’s national women’s team will play its first Test match in eight years during the side’s tour to England later this year.

The Proteas, currently in New Zealand completing the last few days of the lengthy isolation process ahead of the World Cup, will play a Test at Taunton in Somerset starting on June 27.

South Africa has only played 12 Tests in its history, the last of which was against India in 2014 in Mysore. Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Lizelle Lee, Trisha Chetty, Mignon du Preez, all part of the current World Cup squad, played in that match as did Dane van Niekerk, who is missing the tournament because of injury.

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Du Preez made a century in that Test, which India won by an innings and 34 runs. “The scheduled Test match, which is something most cricket fans want to see more of, is the cherry on top of what will be a pivotal tour in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games, and a huge thanks to Clare Connor (Managing Director of Women’s Cricket) and the ECB for helping arrange what promises to be a remarkable tour,” Cricket SA’s Director of Cricket Graeme Smith said.

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There have been growing calls for more Tests - played over four days - in the women's game. Those calls gained greater volume recently following the exciting draw in the Ashes series between Australia and England in Canberra.

South Africa will also play three One-Day and three T20 Internationals with the latter series going to provide good preparation ahead of the Commonwealth Games, where a T20 women’s tournament will take place.

SA WOMEN’S TOUR TO ENGLAND

June 27-30, Taunton

One-Day International