Aussies wrap up Test, series with mammoth win

Australia have overcome a dogged South Africa to seal a mammoth innings-and-284-run victory in the one-off Test inside three days in Perth.

The Proteas’ fighting effort with the bat – a vast improvement on their 76 all out on day one – forced the Australians to toil for the final seven wickets required on Saturday at the WACA Ground.

But when Alana King held a return catch 30 minutes into the final session, ending the Proteas’ second innings on 215, she sealed a memorable victory in the first ever Test between the teams.

Delmi Tucker (64 off 181 balls) and Tazmin Brits (31 off 127) had dug in with a gritty 96-run stand to frustrate Australia through the morning session, with the former posting a composed maiden Test half-century.

Australia chipped away at the seven wickets required, first with spin then with pace, but another brilliant knock this time from Chloe Tryon (64 off 153) pushed the Proteas’ total above 200 and the day into a third session.

Fittingly, it was double centurion Annabel Sutherland (2-11) and hometown hero King (1-15) who took the three wickets required shortly after tea, bowling South Africa out for 215.

The emphatic win meant Australia claimed the multi-format series 12-4, having also won two ODIs and two T20Is.

Australia had been in an unlosable position since posting a world-record 9-575d in their first innings, but the much-improved Proteas ensured it was not easy.

Tucker and Brits resumed on 27no and 18no respectively with the tourists 3-67, still trailing Australia by 432.

The Proteas pair, who had come together with their team in all sorts at 3-13, dug in and frustrated the Australian pace attack throughout the morning session.

Tucker, who had chopped on for a golden duck in the first innings, was rock solid as she brought up a maiden half-century in her first Test.

It took a sharp catch from Phoebe Litchfield at slip to finally end a gritty 96-run stand that had lasted more than 40 overs, as she grabbed a low chance after Perry found the edge of Brits’ bat.

The umpires went upstairs to check she had taken it cleanly and replays were blurry, but did enough to convince the television umpire that Litchfield had just got her fingers underneath the ball.

It was the only wicket to fall before lunch, as South Africa walked off the field at 1-140 able to claim they had the better of the tourists in a session for the first time in the match.

It marked a vastly improved display from South Africa after they were rolled for 76 in their first innings in Perth.

The Australians switched to spin from both ends after the break and Sophie Molineux bowled well without reward, sending down five maidens in her 10-over spell - her first in international cricket since October 2021 following a horror run that saw her sidelined first by a foot stress fracture and then a ruptured ACL.

The Victorian almost had a wicket shortly before lunch, but Healy could not hang onto a tough chance off the inside edge of Tryon’s bat.

Ashleigh Gardner continued to show why she is one of Australia’s best with the red ball and the pressure piled on by spinners paid off when Tucker nudged a return catch back to the off-spinner, ending her 181-ball innings on 64.

Gardner got a second an over later via a superb delivery that found the outside edge of Nadine de Klerk’s bat and flew to Sutherland at slip.

The new ball then did the trick as Darcie Brown bowled Sinalo Jafta (9), but Tryon stubbornly remained.

Better known for her explosive T20 batting, Tryon was the picture of resilience as she brought up her first Test fifty from 124 deliveries.

But her hopes of a breakthrough Test century were dashed when Sutherland knocked over stumps shortly after the resumption, and the 22-year-old Victorian’s dream Test continued when she had Nonkululeko Mlaba (15) caught behind shortly after, before King wrapped up proceedings. 

The Australians now go their separate ways, with 10 members of the 14-player Test squad set to fly to India early next week for the Women’s Premier League.

Healy is set to skipper UP Warriorz once more, where she will be joined by her deputy Tahlia McGrath and T20 star Grace Harris.

Victorian trio Perry, Molineux and Georgia Wareham are headed to Royal Challengers Bangalore, while Gardner, Litchfield and Beth Mooney join Gujarat Giants alongside Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt.

Jess Jonassen, who had already returned to Brisbane after missing Test selection, will be reunited with Sutherland and former captain Meg Lanning at Delhi Capitals.

Kim Garth and King were not picked up in the auction but will feature in the three-day Australia ‘A’ red-ball game in Adelaide early next month alongside Brown, while Megan Schutt will get a well-deserved break after opting out of the WPL auction.

Australia’s next assignment is a three ODI, three T20 tour of Bangladesh, due to start days after the WPL final.

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: Australia won by an innings and 284 runs

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