Few tours test a team’s mettle quite like a journey to the subcontinent, and for the South Africa Women’s cricket team, their recent tri-series in Sri Lanka was a crucible of heat, humidity, and hard lessons. While the results may not have gone their way, the Proteas emerged with a deeper sense of unity and purpose, as all-rounder Suné Luus candidly revealed in the aftermath.
Upon their arrival in Sri Lanka, the extreme heat and humidity of the sub-continent were one of the toughest challenges faced by a determined Proteas unit. The weather conditions on offer were sapping out a whole lot of energy from them on the field.
Their struggles were not just mental, but also physical, as Luus explained, “Some players described this tour as one of the hardest tours of their careers, physically.” Even most of the players from the Chamari Athapaththu-led hosts expressed their struggles to cope with the scorching heat and humidity during the course of the series.
Amidst battling the extreme conditions, the team also focused on the value-driven approach, fostering growth on a personal and professional level as a collective unit.
Despite a below-par and disappointing campaign for the Laura Wolvaardt-led side in the series, there were a lot of positive takeaways from the series, holding them in good stead moving forward. One of them was the return of the experienced veteran Sune Luus, as a bowler, however, switching to off-spin, after starting her career as a potent leg-spinner, besides her batting exploits.
While the scoreboard told a sobering story, just one win from four matches, the Proteas found reasons to celebrate. “We celebrated key milestones, including Tazmin Brits’ century, Nadine de Klerk’s 50th ODI wicket and Annerie Dercksen’s consistency with both bat and ball,” Luus recounted.
The team’s solitary victory, a commanding 76-run win over Sri Lanka, was powered by Chloe Tryon’s sensational five-wicket haul (including a hat-trick) and a rapid-fire 74, alongside Annerie Dercksen’s magnificent 104.
Debutant Miane Smit was also impressive, bagging her maiden ODI scalp, and even on the coaching front, Mandla Mashimbyi was outstanding irrespective of the results, a notable feature of his keenness to instill a fearless and dominant to the game and in terms of the mindset, which bodes well going forward.
Annerie Dercksen emerged as the series’ leading run-scorer, amassing 276 runs at a stunning average of 92.00 and a strike rate of 113.11, fulfilling her ambition to follow in the footsteps of Proteas legends. Chloe Tryon, meanwhile, led the bowling charts for South Africa with six wickets, her 5/34 in the final match a testament to her match-winning potential.
Despite the setbacks, Luus’s gaze is firmly fixed on the future. “Although these matches didn’t go our way, the team remains fixated on the main prize, to be awarded later this year. With the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 taking place in India, this Tri-Series formed an important part of the squad’s preparation ahead of the prestigious tournament.”
The influence of Coach Mandla Mashimbyi, overseeing his first full tour, has also been pivotal. Luus noted the adoption of a new mantra, “After finishing as runners-up in the 2023 T20 World Cup on home soil, as well as in the T20 World Cup last year, we will once again look to achieve the extraordinary with a rejuvenated and dominating approach.”
For the Proteas Women, the Sri Lanka tri-series was more than a test of skill, it was a test of spirit. Through adversity, the team found new reserves of resilience and togetherness. As Luus eloquently summed up, “Battling humidity levels of up to 85% and temperatures in the mid-thirties, the team showed great resilience as they continued to fight, match after match.”
With the World Cup on the horizon, the Proteas are determined to turn hard lessons into future triumphs. Their journey may have been tough, but their resolve has never been stronger.
(Quotes sourced from ICC Press Release)
