Historic women’s Test in South Africa to be played without DRS

The much-anticipated one-off Test between South Africa and England’s women’s cricket teams in Bloemfontein marks a historic occasion as the first women’s Test played in South Africa in 22 years. However, the match, starting Sunday, will be played without the Decision Review System (DRS), a rarity in modern cricket.

This Test is the only international match in South Africa this year—out of 21 games played by both men and women—to proceed without DRS. Cricket South Africa (CSA) has clarified the rationale behind this decision, emphasizing their strategic focus on white-ball cricket for women.

Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s Director of National Teams and High Performance, explained that DRS was prioritized for the white-ball matches during England’s tour due to their direct impact on South Africa’s rankings in the ICC Women’s Championship and T20I standings. He added, “While the development of the red-ball format is important, resources are currently being directed at the white-ball formats due to the significance of ODI and T20I cricket in the current women’s international cricket landscape.”

South Africa’s women’s team has been a dominant force in white-ball cricket, particularly in ODIs. Having already secured their spot in the ODI World Cup, the team is focused on finishing strongly in the ICC Women’s Championship standings. CSA’s decision to allocate resources to DRS for the white-ball matches aligns with this strategic objective.

While DRS is now a standard feature in international cricket, matches without it are not unprecedented. Earlier this year, the men’s ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe only introduced DRS from the Super Six stage. Similarly, the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup qualifiers in the UAE were played entirely without DRS.