Proteas veteran Suné Luus working her way back to being a genuine all-rounder

Proteas all-rounder Suné Luus celebrates the big wicket of Sidra Amin with captain Laura Wolvaardt during the first ODI against Pakistan in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Picture: Charle Lombard/Gallo Images It was a star showing from Suné Luus that saw the Proteas women clinch a deserved 37-run win over Pakistan in the opening ODI of their three-match series in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Luus top scoredwith an unbeaten 93 for her team, and picked up credible figures of 2/31 in six overs with the ball, including a crucial wicket at a difficult time.

It is strange to think that Luus isn’t considered a genuine all-rounder forthe Proteasanymore, which was a role she played earlier in her career, when she would bowl in every match. She has picked up 180 wickets across ODIs and T20Is for the Proteas, but a few years ago she stopped bowling to focus fully on her batting. However, recently she has been entrusted with the ball again, although she isn’t always relied on, but she is hopeful that the more she produces positive results, the morecaptain Laura Wolvaardtwill turn to her, as she did on Sunday against Pakistan.

Chasing 261 to win, in a reduced 41-over game, the visitors were cruising on 131/2 in the 24thover with two set batters on half centuries, when Luus was thrown the ball and she immediately struck, picking up the important wicket of Sidra Amin for 68. That sparked a fightback from the Proteas and they eventually bowled out Pakistan for 223 for a comfortable win. “I don’t know what she (Wolvaardt) wanted to do, but I am always there in the back of her armour.

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She knows I love bowling and I am always keen to bowl. So I think she just wanted to turn to me, see what I could do and if it could work,” said Luus after the match. “She kept telling me, you deserve another over after that one.

So I am happy it paid off. I want to be one of the frontline spinners again, so I am slowly working my way back towards that. “It was crucial for us to get that wicket and I think it came at the right time.

They were building a big partnership and they were both looking to score big hundreds. “So I was very happy to be able to take that wicket. I think (Ayanda) Hlubi took a great catch, and I think that just shifted the momentum.”

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