Historic win fueling Proteas Women ahead of final ODI against Aussies

In a thrilling turn of events, the Proteas Women finds themselves on the cusp of making further history as they head into the third and final one-day international (ODI) against Australia at the North Sydney Oval on Saturday, 10 February.

After securing their maiden 50-over victory by 84 runs via Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) against Australia in the previous encounter, the series stands level at 1-1.

The multi-format tour points are distributed six to four in the host’s favour, setting the stage for a riveting conclusion to the ODI series.

The series finale will be aired live on SuperSport Grandstand (Channel 201) at 2:40pm local time (5:40am SAST).

In the pre-match press conference, allrounder Eliz-Mari Marx, after making her first appearance in the ongoing tour during the second ODI, shared insights into the team's mindset and their determination to secure the series after the memorable win.

“We were happy about that historic win in Australia. We were all happy and obviously having a team song and just having a few celebrations with each other, which was nice. Leading up to this last ODI, I think we are all excited.

“Yes, 100 per cent. It is definitely not done. There's one game to play and I think it's all to play for. If we as a team can stick to what we did the previous match, we can go and win the series,” Marx expressed.

PIVOTAL ROLE

Discussing the Proteas Women's strengths in the second ODI, Marx commended her fellow bowlers and their pivotal role in securing the memorable victory.

“I think our bowling unit stuck to their plans. We've been talking about it leading into the T20Is and other ODIs and this was probably the best performance that the bowlers delivered. I'm happy with that and hopefully we can make it 2-1,” the 21-year-old noted.

After Marizanne Kapp’s Player of the Match performance in the second ODI, which included a knock of 75 off 87 balls and a return of three for 12 with the ball, Marx spoke highly of her teammate's impact within the national side and conveyed her wishes to follow in the allrounder’s footsteps.

“A world-class player and someone that I take a lot of learnings from. With the bat, she always delivers, you can basically press her button and she'll deliver. And with the ball, she showed she was a bit tired, but she's a world-class player.

“We have similar roles. I would like to one day, whenever that might be, when she's done, to sort of fill those big shoes that she's standing in and hopefully deliver as much as I can for the country,” Marx added.

UNBEATEN STREAK

In addition to seeking their first-ever series win against Australia, the Proteas Women enter the final ODI with the aim of extending their unbeaten record in 50-over series for the 2023/24 season, having won their last three outings against Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.

Another objective for the team is to take a crucial step towards qualification for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 through the ICC Women’s Championship (2022-25), with South Africa currently sharing the top spot on points with Australia (20).

Looking ahead to the pivotal match at the North Sydney Oval in New South Wales, Marx provided insight into the playing conditions.

"Well, there's a bit of grass in the pitch to assist the seam bowlers a bit more. If you stick to your line and length, there's always something in it for you," she concluded.