The Momentum Proteas secured their first series win in the Caribbean when they chased down 157 with 13.2 overs to spare to complete a eight-wicket win over the West Indies Women to take an unassailable 3-0 lead and win the five-match Women’s one-day international series with a brilliant performance at St Johns in Antigua on Monday.
Winning the toss and electing to field, the opening bowling duo of Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail applied the necessary pressure and were rewarded with a wicket each when they had openers Hayley Matthews (2) and Chedean Nation (1) back in the dugout inside five overs.
Speedster Ismail was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas as she picked up 3-31 as The Windies batters were no match for her rapid bowling.
Ismail struck early in her spell starting with Matthews (11) who was brilliantly caught and bowled by the South African starlet in the third over.
Kapp joined in on the action as she continued her impressive streak on this tour with the wicket of Chedean Nation (6) who was caught at slip by Dane Van Niekerk.
The two early scalps interrupted the hosts’ innings temporarily as they were struggling on nine for two inside the powerplay.
Notwithstanding the 77-run partnership between Rashada Williams (37 off 79) and Deandra Dottin (71 off 123) the hosts did not offer much in the innings as wickets continued to tumble with a combination of some fine bowling and fielding from the Proteas Women to bowl them out for 157.
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— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) September 13, 2021
Another stellar performance from the bowling unit - led by Shabnim Ismail (3/31) - saw the #MomentumProteas dismiss @windiescricket for 157
??Catch the action live on SuperSport OTT 3
??Ball by Ball https://t.co/c1ztvrT95P#WIWvSAW #AlwaysRising #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/H2Zp3fNoe2
The bowling unit of Ayabonga Khaka (2-22) and Sune Luus (2-25) brilliantly set up the Proteas for a relatively easy chase which was pioneered by the opening pair of Lizelle Lee 78 (120) and Laura Wolvaardt 52 (68) who were in their usual destructive mode in the run chase at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
The duo were in no mood to waste any time as Wolvaardt brought up her 21st half-century and Lee shortly followed suite with her 22nd fifty.
?? BACK TO BACK
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) September 13, 2021
Laura Wolvaardt nonchalantly scores back-to-back half-centuries. This one comes off 64 balls and includes 6 boundaries#WIWvSAW #AlwaysRising #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/FcnCp1X39u
They made the visitors pay putting on 122-runs partnership, the seventh century stand between the pair.
Despite a couple of wickets falling towards the latter stages, the opening pair had done enough to lead the visitors to a comfortable series win.
The two sides will be back in action on Thursday where the game will be played at the Sir Viv Richards stadium.
The Momentum Proteas: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus, Dane Van Niekerk, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Marizanne Kapp, Trisha Chetty, Ayabonga Khaka, Shabnim Ismail, Tumi Sekhukhune