Proteas Women eye ODI whitewash in Johannesburg

The Proteas stuck to their task well with the ball under cloudy skies at the Bullring after being invited to bowl first, taking wickets at regular intervals to dismiss the tourists for 205 in the 46th over.

Nonkululeko Mlaba was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-33, with Tumi Sekhukhune (2-27) providing ample support with her injury-disrupted eight-over stint.

Reflecting on equalling her best ODI figures, Mlaba said: “The more I bowled it slower, the more I got turn.

“I think that’s obviously a good total to chase, with our batting line-up it’s easy.”

Faye Tunnicliffe, Sinalo Jafta, Ayanda Hlubi and Mlaba all returned to the Proteas line up, at the expense of Lara Goodall, Miané Smit, Eliz-Mari Marx and Nondumiso Shangase.

The Irish were without Amy Hunter, replaced by Christina Reilly, while Ava Canning also earned a recall in place of Cara Murray.

There may have been South African changes aplenty, but it was their rock that produced the first moment of magic to dismiss Sarah Forbes following a steady Irish start.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt had stationed herself at extra cover and took a flying, right-handed catch to give Leah Jones her first wicket of the afternoon and leave Ireland 21-1.

That became 39-1 come the end of the ten over powerplay, with the introduction of Sekhukhune in particular helping to keep things tight.

Visiting skipper Gaby Lewis was looking to improve on a quietly impressive series and she broke the shackles in the 14th over, greeting the introduction of Sune Luus with a lofted drive straight down the ground for six.

Jafta took the keeping gloves back from Karabo Meso but blotted her copybook when she fluffed a straightforward stumping off Jones as Reilly advanced, swung and missed.

And Lewis reached her 15th ODI half century in style, driving Luus on the up through extra cover.

She was in control but Reilly not so much against Sekhukhune, offering a pair of awkward catching opportunities to Mlaba at mid-off off successive balls.

Jones would then have run her out by a mile if her throw from backward point had struck, with Jafta then unlucky to put down an edge from Lewis off the increasingly unfortunate Sekhukhune.

The chances were mounting up and there was then the incredible sight of Wolvaardt spilling the gentlest of chances as Reilly spooned into the covers off the bowling of Mlaba.

It left Ireland 117-1 at the halfway mark but Reilly’s luck finally ran out when she had another dance down the track.

Sekhukhune saw her coming and beat the bat with Jafta this time making no mistake, removing Reilly for 37 off 56 balls and ending a 99-run partnership.

Mlaba struck a crucial blow just three deliveries later when she bamboozled Lewis (64 off 80) from around the wicket, bowling her as she chopped on.

And she wasn’t finished there, completing a double wicket maiden by having Laura Delany caught low at slip by Luus without scoring.

Orla Prendergast was a whisker away from a century in Tuesday’s second ODI in Gqeberha.

It wasn’t to be here either, as she edged to a scampering Jones to depart for a 28-ball 21 and give Tunnicliffe her first wicket in the green and gold.

Leah Paul and Rebecca Stokell steadied the ship until the latter holed out to Luus at mid-on, as Sekhukhune returned from a bang on the knee to claim her second scalp.

Then went Paul for 30 as she edged an attempted straight drive into the offside and the waiting hands of Jones at point.

She was swiftly followed by Kelly, as Mlaba tempted her into a flashing shot that Wolvaardt gathered at the second attempt.

And Mlaba took her fourth when she pushed one past the advancing Jan Maguire, gifting Jafta another stumping.

Luus finished the job with more than four overs to spare when Aimee Maguire became Wolvaardt’s fourth catching victim in the field.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Karabo Meso, Sune Luus, Dane van Niekerk, Faye Tunnicliffe, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Leah Jones, Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayanda Hlubi, Nonkululeko Mlaba.

IRELAND: Sarah Forbes, Gaby Lewis (capt), Christina Coulter Reilly, Orla Prendergast, Laura Delany, Leah Paul, Rebecca Stokell, Arlene Kelly, Jane Maguire, Ava Canning, Aimee Maguire.