'One of the hardest tours' - Luus' verdict on SL tri-series

Following a disappointing showing in the tri-series by South Africa, where the Proteas Women won only one out of their four fixtures, all-rounder Suné Luus gave an honest reflection of the tournament conditions in the subcontinent.

Speaking on the humid conditions in the subcontinent that had a major impact on the visitors, Luus said,

“Upon arrival, we were met with the intense heat and humidity of the subcontinent, making Durban's weather feel like a breeze."

“In the blazing heat, the weather quickly became a popular talking point, especially given that we would be playing two subcontinental teams in their backyard, where conditions are known to be low, slow, and offer turn.”

“Despite the host nation having the upper hand in understanding and adapting more quickly to the conditions, they too expressed discomfort with the humidity.”

“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. Some players described this tour as one of the hardest tours of their careers, physically. “

Luus finished the series with a single wicket and 61 runs with the bat across three matches, with a highest score of 31 in their five-wicket loss to Sri Lanka.

The Proteas lost their first three matches in the series, with two losses coming against India and another one to the hosts. Their solitary victory came against Sri Lanka in their final league stage clash as Chloe Tryon shone with a fifer, including a hat-trick and a quickfire 74 (51) along with Annerie Dercksen's 104 (84) led them to a 76-run win.

The all-rounder further commended the captaincy of Laura Wolvaardt and how they incorporated team values into their daily lives.

"Under captain Laura Wolvaardt, we also reflected on the team’s values and how we could incorporate them into our daily lives throughout the tour, helping us grow both as individuals and as teammates."

While the results didn’t go their way, Luus admitted that the side was more focused on the little things and celebrating the positives from each game rather than the result itself.

“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. We also celebrated Chloé Tryon’s hat-trick and fifer, Nondumiso’s career-best performance with the bat, the debuts and first ODI wickets of Seshnie and Miané, as well as Coach Mandla’s first full tour with the team.”

Annerie Dercksen, who had expressed her desire to follow in the footsteps of a fellow Proteas legend ahead of the series, was the top scorer of the series, with 276 runs at a magnificent average of 92.00, striking at 113.11.

Chloe Tryon was the top wicket-taker for the Proteas, with 6 wickets and best figures of 5/34 in their solitary win over Sri Lanka.

“When it comes to the Proteas Women, celebrating each other’s successes and milestones is what unites us as a team,” she added.

Despite the setback, Luus remained positive, adding that the Proteas are looking ahead to the marquee Women's event later in the year – the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 in India.

"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.

"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 by adopting another key theme introduced by Coach Mandla: "Dominate"."