Kapp, Luus lead Proteas fightback

Marizaane Kapp.

Half-centuries from Marizanne Kapp and Suné Luus helped the Proteas Women produce a valiant display with the bat following India’s record-setting innings on Day Two of the one-off Test match at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

Kapp ended the day’s play with an undefeated 69* off 125 deliveries (8x4) after Suné Luus contributed a 164-ball 65 (6x4, 1x6) to help propel South Africa to 236/4, trailing by 367 runs, in reply to India’s declared total of 603/6 - the highest innings total in Women’s Test cricket.

The second day got underway with the host nation on 525/4 after 98 overs, with Harmanpreet Kaur (69) and Richa Ghosh (86) resuming their half-century stand. The pair managed to add a further 68 runs to the score to see both batters reach their respective fifties before Tumi Sekhukhune (1/70) broke the 143-run partnership by dismissing Kaur.

The innings eventually came to an end, with India declaring on 603/6, following Ghosh's wicket off the bowling of Nonkululeko Mlaba (1/122).

In reply to the hosts’ first innings score, openers Anneke Bosch (39) and Laura Wolvaardt (20) led South Africa to the lunch break unscathed on 29/0 before the latter became the first scalp to fall shortly after the interval.

Despite losing her captain, Bosch combined well with Luus for a crucial 63-run stand for the second wicket to take the Proteas near the 100-run mark prior to the departure of Bosch, who edged a Sneh Rana (3/61) for her second scalp of the afternoon.

With South Africa still behind by 507 runs, Luus was joined at the crease by the experienced Kapp as the duo collaborated for a 93-run partnership, with Luus reaching her maiden Test fifty before Kapp emulated the feat with her very own half-century in the final session of the day.

With the two batters looking settled out in the middle, India’s Deepti Sharma (1/40) made the all-important breakthrough to remove Luus LBW before Rana quickly picked up her third wicket to send all-rounder Delmi Tucker (0) back to the hut to leave the Proteas Women 198/4.

An unbeaten 38-run stand between Kapp and Nadine de Klerk (27*) then helped South Africa end the day’s play on 236/4, still trailing by 376 runs.

Day Three will commence on Sunday at 9.30am (6am SAST), with the match broadcast live on SuperSport Grandstand (Ch. 201).