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Mlaba, Wolvaardt, Brits power Proteas to T20 WCup win over Windies

football04 October 2024 13:23| © MWP
By:Ross Roche
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Nonkululeko Mlaba, captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits powered the Proteas women to a comprehensive 10-wicket win over the West Indies in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup opening match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Mlaba produced career best figures with the ball to help the Proteas restrict the Windies to 118/6 in their 20 overs batting first, before Wolvaardt and Brits struck half centuries to guide them to a dominant win with 13 balls to spare.

Mlaba’s 4/29 were her best ever T20 bowling figures, while Wolvaardt led from the front with an unbeaten 59 off 55 balls (7x4), while Brits was just as good for her 57 off 52 (6x4) as they crushed any hopes the Windies may have had of defending the below par total.

“It wasn’t easy out there, it was definitely one of the harder knocks I’ve had out there physically. Especially fielding first at 2pm and then coming out to bat after, it wasn’t easy.” said Wolvaardt after the match.

“I think we were pretty excellent all-round. The way Kappie (Marizanne Kapp) started with the ball was amazing and then to have Mlaba take four wickets was brilliant. The to win it with 10 (wickets) in the shed was nice as well.”

The Proteas chase got off to the perfect start, with Wolvaardt leading the charge as she clubbed six boundaries in the powerplay, working her way to 29 as they reached 43/0 by the end of the first six overs.

Brits then started to open up as they moved to 68/0 by the halfway mark, with her eventually catching up to her opening partner.

In the 15th over Wolvaardt brought up her half century with a single, which also brought up the teams hundred, followed by Brits reaching her fifty with a single at the start of the 16th.

They eventually eased their way over the line towards the end of the 18th over to seal a powerful win and start their World Cup campaign on the perfect note.

At the start of play the Proteas won the toss and chose to bowl, with Mlaba backed up well by Kapp, 2/14, and the rest of the bowling department who were very disciplined.

It was almost the perfect start for the Proteas, but Qiana Joseph (4) was dropped by Chloe Tryon at slip off the bowling of Ayabonga Khaka in the second over.

However they soon got the breakthrough as in the next over as Kapp struck, having Hayley Matthews (10) caught behind by keeper Sinalo Jafta with the score 15/1.

That became 18/2 in the fifth over as Joseph was unable to use her chance, with her struggling before Mlaba set her up and bowled her for her first scalp.

Deandra Dottin (13) looked good on her return to international cricket, hitting a few boundaries, but just as she was looking to get going, she popped an easy catch to Wolvaardt at cover off Kapp as they slipped to 32/3 in the seventh over.

Stafanie Taylor, 44no off 41 balls (2x4, 1x6) and Shemaine Campbelle (17) managed to slightly rally with a 30-run fourth wicket partnership, as they took their side to the halfway mark on 57/3.

Mlaba then returned and immediately made the breakthrough, bowling Campbelle off her legs, before having Chinelle Henry caught behind by Jafta for a first ball duck as the Windies slipped to 62/5 in the 12th over.

At the start of her final over Mlaba got her fourth, having Aaliyah Alleyne (7) stunningly caught by Brits at point, with the Windies on 83/6.

Taylor and Zaida James (15no) were unable to get fully stuck in, but managed to combine for an unbeaten 35-run stand over the closing overs to give their bowlers something to defend.

PROTEAS WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinolo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka

WEST INDIES WOMEN: Hayley Matthews (capt), Qiana Joseph, Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, Zaida James, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack, Shamilia Connell

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