"It's called Test cricket for a reason," is likely one of the well-worn tropes used to explain the challenges and the thrills of the sport's longest format, which remains to be seen as the head for many of its gamers, together with girls. But, as a lot as girls need in on the red-ball sport, in addition they need correct preparation for the longest format to totally benefit from the expertise of enjoying in it.

De Klerk was considered one of 9 debutants when South Africa performed their first Test in eight years, in opposition to England final June and mirrored on it as a studying expertise. "We played some decent cricket for a team that had nine debutants. It was quite hard on the bodies. Getting out of bed the next day after bowling 14 or 16 overs in a day, you have to be up and down in the field, and being an allrounder, so you have to bat as well, was tough. But we didn't lose against them, which is great," she mentioned.

The draw at Taunton was the sixth successive such lead to girls's Tests and the 93rd in a 144-match historical past. That means virtually two-thirds of ladies's Tests don't have any winners or losers, which might converse to a extra tentative strategy within the sport's most elite format, that almost all girls's Tests are performed over 4 days or, as de Klerk mentioned, that there's insufficient preparation to prepared gamers to power a end result. "We weren't quite sure how to play. Prep should be changed accordingly and you have to change the way you train," she mentioned.

But how?

South Africa's girls's set-up, like most others, doesn't embody a multi-day home competitors. That stands to cause given the price of staging these fixtures and the absence of any actual cause to have them. Women's Tests are performed sometimes - these 144 Tests have taken place in 90 years, since December 1934 - and, today, very hardly ever as something greater than one-offs. The final time a two-Test collection passed off was between India and England in 2006. Simply put, there is not sufficient room within the calendar to justify Test-match particular coaching so gamers need to study on the job, as South Africa did, or by watching different groups. De Klerk may have the chance for the latter later this month.

She's at present enjoying regional cricket for The Blaze and lives in an condo throughout the street from Trent Bridge, venue of the Women's Ashes Test. She has witnessed the sense of anticipation first hand and hopes to be among the many spectators to soak up the event. "I've seen the banners advertising the game and I've heard there've been quite a few tickets sold," she mentioned.

Nadine de Klerk celebrates a wicket for The Blaze•Getty Images

At the time of writing, 11,000 tickets had been snapped up for the Test, which confirms a file stage of curiosity within the sport however one that's unlikely to be happy by the schedule. There are solely six Tests pencilled in for the present girls's FTP, which runs from May 2022 to April 2025 and so they solely contain 4 nations: England, Australia, South Africa and India. Two of the six matches are Ashes Tests, whereas South Africa and India do not play in opposition to one another, however solely in opposition to England and Australia.

"I think it's quite harsh that we get to play England and Australia in a Test match, who play the Ashes every now and again and they get to play Test matches more often," de Klerk mentioned. "But, it's okay because we are playing against the best in the world so if you want to learn your trade and figure out how Test cricket works, it's probably best to do it against teams like Australia and England because they've done it quite a few times. That makes the challenge really good, I guess."

That England and Australia dominate the Test market is to be anticipated, and most starkly expressed within the girls's sport. They have contested 51 matches - greater than a 3rd - out of all Women's Tests performed. West Indies, South Africa, India and New Zealand have all performed greater than 10 Tests every, however each West Indies and New Zealand final competed within the format 19 years in the past, and neither have any Tests scheduled till at the very least 2025. To de Klerk's level, it means most ladies's nationwide groups won't have the alternatives to be examined in cricket's sternest manner because the hole between the sport's haves and have nots continues to widen.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and ladies's cricket