Wolvaardt returns to second home with fresh mission

Laura Wolvaardt has returned to her second home confident South Africa can once again make history on their multi-format tour of Australia.

Wolvaardt has spent the last four WBBL seasons with the Adelaide Strikers, but will find herself in the unusual position of being on the away team in the city of churches when she leads the Proteas out in the first ODI at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

While the South African captain has only played a handful of matches at the iconic venue – the Strikers generally play their home games at nearby Karen Rolton Oval – it was only two months ago at Adelaide Oval that Wolvaardt was part of their thrilling WBBL|09 triumph.

That came alongside Australians Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown and Tahlia McGrath.

"Last time I was here, it was very cool evening when we won the final," Wolvaardt told reporters on Friday.

"So it's weird being back here in a different role, but I’m very excited for the opportunity.

"Getting to play an ODI at one of my favourite grounds is really special.

"It's really nice having played here a couple of times, just to know the conditions ... I can share my knowledge with my teammates and hopefully that does us well for the game tomorrow."

The Proteas have never beaten Australia in a one-day international, with their closest result a tied one-dayer in Coffs Harbour in 2016.

But fresh off their history-making win in the second T20I in Canberra, and after pushing the other two 20-over matches to the final over, Wolvaardt said her team was confident.

"Having never beaten them before until the other day, I think (we were) always a bit intimidated by them," she said.

"But now I feel like we've finally broken that voodoo and we have the win against them, it does us well in the future and we can play some good competitive cricket.

"It was a good competitive (T20) series for us ... obviously we 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 I think overall was a very competitive series and pretty happy with how it went."

Defeating Australia in their strongest format will be no easy feat.

The world No.1 side have lost just two ODIs in the last two years – both of those during last year’s Ashes in England – and whitewashed India in Mumbai in their most recent series.

Schutt, who will play her 200th game for Australia on Saturday, said there was no risk of the hosts taking South Africa lightly.

But she pointed to Australia’s depth as the reason for their dominance of the format.

"That T20 series was a cracking one - I think it's showing the evolution of the game in the way they're taking it to us and I expect them to do the exact same thing in the 50-over format," Schutt said.

"I think we just have good balance – we’re pretty fortunate that if someone goes down with injury, someone slips in and, and transitions really easy into that spot.

"The depth that we have in Australian cricket (is something) we're pretty fortunate to have.

"Everyone knows their roles and obviously lots of planning and opposition analysis comes into that (too)."

Australia have one fresh face in the group for the ODI leg, with Alana King joining the group in Adelaide.

She has replaced Grace Harris, who returned to Queensland following the T20Is, and could line up alongside fellow leg-spinner Georgia Wareham in the XI if Australia stick to the same successful formula they used in India.

Women's CommBank T20I Series v South Africa

First T20: Australia won by eight wickets

Second T20: South Africa won by six wickets

January 30: Australia win by five wickets

Women's CommBank ODI Series v South Africa

February 3: First ODI, Adelaide Oval, 2.10pm

February 7: Second ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

February 10: Third ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris*, Jess Jonassen, Alana King**, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham *T20s only | **ODIs only

South Africa squad (T20Is & ODIs): Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker

Women's CommBank Test Match v South Africa

February 15-18: Only Test, WACA Ground, Perth 11.00am