Maia Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt tons put England on top in South Africa

The last time a women’s Test took place in South Africa was March 2002: India won the toss, inserted themselves, scored 404 for nine before declaring and went on to win the match by 10 wickets.

Despite the 22-year gap, had any of the spectators at that match happened to show up at Bloemfontein on Sunday, an oddly similar spectacle awaited them. This time, it was England who racked up almost 400 after winning the toss, thanks to centuries from Maia Bouchier, on Test debut, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, the latter’s a record-breaking one.

Bouchier, who scored 126 off 154 balls, described it as an “unforgettable day”, adding: “I’ve said to a lot of people before that Test cricket is the pinnacle, and to make my debut and to get a hundred just tops the charts.”

South Africa fought back valiantly in the evening session: first, the drift and turn of the left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba yielded four wickets, before Marizanne Kapp and Ayanda Hlubi both took maiden Test scalps with the new ball, as England squandered their strong teatime position of 292 for three. An 11th-hour declaration from Heather Knight left Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch facing a tricky six-over spell, but Laurens Filer and Bell – fresh from having to bat – were wayward, and six balls from Sophie Ecclestone to end the day were not enough to produce a breakthrough.

Earlier, Bouchier had dodged an early run-out chance – the throw in from Suné Luus at square leg went wide of the stumps – but thereafter drove beautifully down the ground, lofting a six back over the head of Tumi Sekhukhune. Anyone who has watched Bouchier bat this year could have sensed that, given the chance, she would take to Test cricket as if to the manner born; and so she did.

At the end of day one, a special cap ceremony in the changing room awaited her. “My dad came into the changing room and made a little speech and everyone started crying,” Bouchier said. “It was along the lines of: ‘I’m very proud and I think it was the best day of my life.’

“It was very special for him because he’s waited a long time for it as well. What I remember was us watching Test match cricket together, watching the best players in the world bat all day, and I think that’s what he wanted for me to do. To go out there and play how I did – I’m so proud of myself and I know he’s proud of me, so that’s all I can hope for.”

The main difference from the match in 2002 was the scoring rate. There may have been only 35 women’s Tests played since, but we are in the era of professionalism now. It took England less than three sessions to achieve what India managed in five two decades ago. The afternoon session was a sea of boundaries: Sciver-Brunt, who scored 128, eased her way to the fastest 50 for England in a women’s Test (46 balls), before progressing to the fastest ever century for any nation in the format (96 balls).

But with a century in the bank, Bouchier finally grew reckless – “I wanted to move the score on a little bit and take the bowlers on a bit more,” she said – slashing Mlaba to slip just before tea. The left-arm spinner then ripped through the middle order: Sciver-Brunt was unfortunate to be run out backing up, but the other wickets were all about guile: a turning ball that clipped the edge of Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s bat and went through to the keeper; a back-spinner that nutmegged Charlie Dean; and a tight spell that frustrated Amy Jones into holing out to mid-off.

The lack of decision review system was something of a talking point, after Beaumont was trapped plumb in front by Kapp second ball, only for the umpire to shake her head – except that the opener added just 17 more runs before being caught at midwicket. But the absence of third-umpire technology should not detract from the fact that Cricket South Africa (not before time) have at last brought women’s Test cricket back to home soil, giving 11 South Africans the chance to play in whites at home, and allowing Bouchier to achieve a childhood dream.