The Proteas Women will take to the field for the first time since they came close to lifting their maiden World Cup title when they take on former champions England in a three-match T20 series.
The first encounter will take place at Buffalo Park in East London, and Laura Wolvaardt and her charges will get an opportunity to follow up their World Cup momentum with a first-series win against England.
The former World Champions thumped South Africa 3-0 the last time they met in 2022, and their recent encounter also saw the Proteas losing by seven wickets. Despite recent results and history, Wolvaardt and her charges have improved a lot, and they are well set to claim their first series win.
Here we look at the potential talking points to the series.
The power of the opening pair.
Tazmin Brits and captain Wolvaardt have led the way with the bat, and their aggressive starts in the powerplay will be important in setting up the batters to follow.
The opening pair ended the World Cup as the leading run scorers, with Wolvaardt’s (223) finishing first and Brits following closely in second with 187 runs. Their ability to switch roles within partnerships has been evident, and their contributions could be crucial in deciding the matches and the series.
The absence of Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka.
All-rounder Marizanne Kapp and medium-pace bowler Ayabonga Khaka have been rested for this series, and they could potentially have a role to play later in the One Day Internationals and Test series.
Kapp has been a standout performer for the Proteas with both bat and ball; with England fielding a full-strength side, her absence could be difficult to compensate for.
Khaka, also a notable new ball bowler, is often economical during the powerplay, and her perfected inswinging skill and experience bowling with the new ball will also be hard to replace.
Creating depth.
Nondumiso Shangase, Faye Tunnicliffe, and Ayanda Hlubi are all in with a chance of making the team. Their return to the squad could present an opportunity for either of them to make a lasting impression and create competition for places.
An opportunity to break the duck.
South Africa have never won a series against England, but their recent telling victories against Australia in the semi-finals of this year’s World Cup, as well as the semi-final win against England in 2023, have shown just how much they have closed the gap against what was once their toughest opponents in years gone by.
The Proteas have only won one out of seven possible series wins, and the challenge they will have to overcome in this series will be to show that they are not just a tournament team but they can also beat the best in the world in a bilateral series.
The recent 2-1 series win against Pakistan will give them confidence, and England will also be vulnerable, especially as they try to correct the wrongs from the World Cup.