Aussies' dominant day ends on sour note with Healy's 99

Alyssa Healy has fallen one agonising run short of a maiden Test century late on a dramatic opening day of the historic Test between Australia and South Africa.

An exhausted Healy had batted through 43-degree heat to reach 99 with just minutes remaining before stumps.

But the Australian captain was denied her hundred when she chipped a return catch to bowler Delmi Tucker, ending a gutsy 124-ball innings at the WACA Ground.

Her efforts – after arriving at the crease with Australia wobbling at 3-12 – nonetheless put the hosts in a position of strength at 5-251, leading the Proteas by 175 runs, with Annabel Sutherland (54no) and Ashleigh Gardner (0no) to resume on Friday morning.

South Africa, playing just their second Test since 2014, were dealt a devastating blow before the toss when superstar allrounder Marizanne Kapp was a late scratching due to illness.

Their nightmare then continued as Darcie Brown (5-21) and Sutherland (3-19) rolled through the tourists for a record-low 76.

The wickets kept tumbling when Masabata Klaas rocked Australia’s top-order to leave the hosts reeling at 3-12 in response.

But Healy joined Beth Mooney (78) in the middle to steady the hosts in a 155-run stand, with the experienced pair displaying the patience that had been missing earlier in the day to see off the new ball then quickly erase South Africa’s advantage.

Healy was first to raise the bat for fifty shortly after tea, with her partner joining her shortly after.

Mooney’s hopes of a maiden test century were dashed when she edged Nadine de Klerk to slip on 78, seven runs shy of her high score in the format, finally breaking the 155-run fourth-wicket stand.

Healy was then joined by Sutherland in an 82-run stand, with the latter playing a superb series of drives as she cruised to her second Test fifty – and the allrounder will be eyeing a second Test ton when she resumes on Friday.

Klaas’ opening spell, which saw the 33-year-old debutant get Phoebe Litchfield (4) caught at slip then Ellyse Perry (3) and Tahlia McGrath (0) both caught behind, was the only real bright point for the tourists during a long afternoon in the field.

Earlier, express quick Brown, recalled for the Test after sitting out at Wankhede Stadium in December, became the first quick since Ellyse Perry in 2014 – fittingly, also at the WACA – to take five wickets in a women’s Test in Australia.

The 20-year-old, who had taken just three Test wickets coming into the game, led the way in a dramatic opening morning saw South Africa reduced to 8-55 by lunch, and all out for 76 just 10 minutes after play resumed.

Kapp’s conspicuous absence from South Africa’s team photo, taken immediately upon their arrival at the WACA Ground on Thursday morning, was the first harbinger of the disaster that would unfold.

Whispers spread around the ground that the South African superstar had taken ill and would not play, news that was confirmed by Wolvaardt at the coin toss.

Somehow, for an eighth time since she arrived in Australian soil, Wolvaardt was on the wrong side of a 50/50 contest as Alyssa Healy once again won the toss – an outcome that had just a 0.39 per cent chance of occurring.

Healy’s decision to bowl first on a day forecast to hit a top of 43 degrees Celsius had some scratching their heads.

But her decision, made with an eye on the green-tinged WACA pitch, was more than vindicated by the carnage that followed, and as it transpired, the Australians were in the field for just 31.2 overs compared to the Proteas’ 56.

Anneke Bosch was tasked with opening the batting in a Test for the first time alongside her skipper, but her stay was short-lived.

After being dropped on nought by Mooney at slip off the bowling of Brown, she was forced to depart two balls later after a top-edge ballooned up and was pouched by Healy.

Wolvaardt had insisted on match eve that she was addressed the slight issues in her technique that had seen her nick off early to Australia’s quicks in her last two ODI innings.

But in trying conditions against the new red Kookaburra, the right-hander again came unstuck.

Given a let off on three when Healy dropped a chance off Kim Garth, Mooney no mistake a ball later, holding onto a sharp catch to give Brown her second and leaving South Africa 2-5.

Sune Luus and Tazmin Brits led a brief recovery, occupying the crease for 12.4 overs – despite only adding 28 runs to their total.

A clever decision to review after Sutherland’s lbw appeal against Brits was turned down paid off, with ball-tracking ending her 48-ball innings on five.

That triggered a collapse of 6-17, with no room for debate a ball later when Sutherland sent debutant Delmi Tucker’s bails flying.

Sutherland got a third when Luus edged to slip on 26, and Australia rattled through the remaining five wickets, with No.10 Klaas (10no) the only other batter to reach double figures.

South Africa had impressed throughout the white-ball legs with their grit and determination despite routinely losing Wolvaardt cheaply, with their only batting embarrassment the 105 all out in the first ODI in Adelaide.

But that doggedness was led by Kapp and with the 34-year-old star absent, so too was the gumption.

It became a procession, with a combination of outstanding Australian bowling, a lack of footwork and unnecessary shot making bringing about South Africa’s downfall, in a display that also highlighted the challenges of playing an unfamiliar format in completely foreign conditions.

The reaction of Chloe Tryon following her dismissal for five said it all.

She stood still for several seconds, hand on helmet in disbelief, after she spooned a Brown half-volley directly to one of only two fielders in front of the wicket at the time.

Much had been made of Australia’s choice of spinners, with Sophie Molineux ousting incumbent Jess Jonassen – the first time since her debut the Queenslander had missed a Test due to selection and not injury – but none of their three options were required.

South Africa meanwhile fielded four debutants – Klass, Tucker, Brits and Ayanda Hlubi – and also opted to use a left-arm spinner, with Nonkululeko Mlaba given the nod over quick Eliz-Mari Marx.

Women's CommBank T20I Series v South Africa

First T20: Australia won by eight wickets

Second T20: South Africa won by six wickets

Third T20: Australia win by five wickets

Women's CommBank ODI Series v South Africa

First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

February 7: South Africa won by 84 runs

February 10: Australia won by 110 runs (DLS method)

Women's CommBank Test Match v South Africa

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

Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

South Africa Test squad: Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloé Tryon, Delmi Tucker