South Africa recover from 45-4 to 284 all out on day one of the one-off Test against England as Marizanne Kapp scores 150; England debutants Issy Wong, Lauren Bell, Alice Davidson-Richards and Emma Lamb all involved in wickets
Last Updated: 27/06/22 6:30pm
Marizanne Kapp scored 150 as South Africa fought back against England at Taunton
Marizanne Kapp rallied South Africa with a superb century after England’s debutants had helped shred the Proteas’ top order on day one of the one-off Women’s Test at Taunton.
Kapp (150 from 213 balls) hit her maiden Test ton, and the fourth by a South African woman in Tests, as the tourists recovered to 284 all out after being reduced to 45-4 by a new-look England attack.
The Proteas were dismissed on the stroke on the stumps as Kate Cross, the new leader of the attack now that Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt have retired, picked up the final wicket to end with 4-63.
Fellow pace bowlers Issy Wong (1-54) and Lauren Bell (2-47) made their international bows, filling the spots vacated by Shrubsole and Brunt, and struck once each inside the first 18 overs.
Wong bowled Laura Wolvaardt (16) through the gate with a superb nip-backer, while Bell pinned Lizelle Lee lbw for a duck with one of a number of booming in-swingers she delivered on the day.
Cross and Nat Sciver also bagged early wickets as England took charge after electing to bat.
However, Kapp went on to play a fluent and chanceless knock, reaching three figures from 151 deliveries and going on to hit the highest score by a South African woman in Tests, topping the unbeaten 105 Yvonne van Mentz had notched against England in Cape Town in 1961.
The 32-year-old amassed 26 boundaries in total, with coruscating off-side drives a staple of her knock, before she fell to Bell late in the day, when Tammy Beaumont took a leaping catch at mid-off.
Kapp put on 72 with Anneke Bosch (30) from 89-5 and then bossed lower-order stands with Nadine de Klerk (9) and Tumi Sekhukhune (9no)
England named four Test debutants in total, with seam-bowling all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards and opening batter Emma Lamb also selected for the first game of the multi-format series, which will also include three one-day internationals and as many T20 internationals.
Davidson-Richards and Lamb were both involved in wickets on the opening day – Davidson-Richards nicking off De Klerk as the South Africa batter chased a wide ball and Lamb the catcher when Bosch ballooned Sophie Ecclestone to point after being undone by some extra bounce.
Senior player Cross picked up the first wicket of the day, castling Andrie Steyn (8) in the fifth over as the opener shouldered arms to a ball that held its line and went on to knock back off stump.
England’s attack enjoyed bowling with the Dukes ball, which was being used in a women’s Test for the first time, with Wong and Bell’s wickets sandwiching Sciver trapping Lara Goodall lbw on review.
Kapp began South Africa’s fightback by sharing a 38-run stand for the fifth wicket with skipper Sune Luus, who continues to captain the Proteas in the absence of the injured Dane Van Niekerk (ankle), only for Luus (27) to be then caught low at slip by Sciver off Cross – the score 89-5 at that stage.
Kapp would not be shifted until late in the day, though, and even then it took a brilliant catch from Beaumont at mid-off after the batter attempted to drive Bell over the top.
Wong also snared a fine grab in the covers during Monday’s play, backpedalling to pluck the ball out of the air with her right hand after Cross induced a leading edge from Sinalo Jafta (4).
Cross polished things off by bowling Nonkululeko Mlaba (8) and it will be over to England’s batters in the morning, with Lamb to open up alongside Beaumont.
