De Klerk, Dercksen help Proteas to par total

A valuable, unbroken 42-run stand for the sixth wicket between Nadine de Klerk and Annerie Dercksen helped the South African Women’s side to a par-score of 142 for five against the England Women in the first Women’s T20 International match at Buffalo Park in East London on Sunday afternoon.

The Proteas found themselves in a spot of bother at 64 for four after England captain Heather Knight had won the toss and elected to bowl first. The top-order were over-exuberant in their approach but Dercksen (26 not out) and Nondumiso Shangase (16) steadied the ship with a valuable 36-run stand for the fifth wicket from 40 balls.

Spinner Sarah Glenn (3-0-23-1) broke the stand when Shangase lofted a flighted delivery down the ground but straight into the hands of Sophie Ecclestone. The entry of De Klerk into the fray gave the Proteas innings the boost it needed as the home side were struggling to reach 125.

De Klerk, who struck four boundaries from 16 balls in her inbeaten knock of 29, was the catalyst in the sixth-wicket stand of 28 balls. The young Dercksen found herself sprawled on the floor quite often as the pair turned singles into two’s, putting pressure on the England fielders.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt (2=20 and Tazmin Brits (15) handed the home side a decent start as the pair added 35 runs from 34 balls for the first wicket. However, Wolvaardt came dancing down the track to Charlie Dean (4-0-21-2) after striking three fours, only to have her stumps disturbed.

Brits followed shortly thereafter, alaso dancing down the track to Ecclestone (4-0-18-1) where wicketkeeper Amy Jomes whipped the bails off. Anneke Bosch struck two fours and the only six of the innings but then was castled by left-arm seamer Freya Kemp (2-0-15-1) for 18 from 12 balls.

Sune Luus struggled from the get-go and was caught by Ecclestone at mid-off from the bowling of Dean before Dercksen and Shangase’s repair job.

The Proteas’ lowest total defended here at Buffalo Park is 142, just one run less than the 143 England will require to take the lead in the three-match T20 series.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nondumiso Shangase, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayanda Hlubi.

ENGLAND: Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Maia Bouchier, Sohpia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (capt), Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell.