Tazmin Brits (81) and Marizanne Kapp (57) scored half centuries and disciplined bowling and fielding helped South Africa to an impressive victory by 12-runs in the first of three Women’s T20 Internationals against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
South Africa’s highest ever T20I total against India, 189-4, proved too much for the hosts despite a fabulous, unbeaten 53 from 30 balls from Jemimah Rodrigues whose 11th half century offered a glimmer of hope before they finished on 177-4.
Opener Brits reached her tenth T20I 50 from 40 balls while Kapp reached the landmark from just 30 balls as both capitalised on the flying start provided by captain Laura Wolvaardt who was outstanding during her 33 from just 22 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Wolvaardt was given limited opportunities to unveil her famous cover drive but the aerial straight drive back over the bowlers’ head was working perfectly as was her legside game before moving too far outside off-stump to sweep left arm spinner Radha Yadav and was bowled around her legs.
Kapp was not fit to bowl but she was in outstanding form with the bat delivering an array of attacking shots all around the wicket with eight fours and a six before a thick outside edge against Yadav (2-40) was taken at short third by a diving Asha Sobhana.
There was little to suggest the acceleration delivered in the second half of Brits’ innings as she initially struggled for timing reaching 25 from as many deliveries. But back-to-back sixes against Yadav in the 17th over gave her and the team the boost they needed.
Brits departed to the final delivery of the innings, caught on the mid wicket boundary, having faced 56 balls and struck 10 fours and three sixes.
The run-chase began dauntingly for South Africa with openers Shafali Verma (18) and Smriti Mandhana (46) adding 56 in just five overs before Ayabonga Khaka (1-39) lured an edge from a wide drive.
The prized wicket of Mandhana was claimed by Chloe Tryon (1-32) whose left arm spin teased another edge into the gloves of Sinalo Jafta. When Nadine de Klerk (1-30) bowled Dayalan Hemalatha (14) India were 87-3 with the asking rate mounting with every ball.
But Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur (35 from 29 balls) and Rodrigues added 90 for the fourth wicket to keep the home side nominally in the game although victory never seemed likely. Left arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (1-32) bowled a smart final over which concluded with the stumping of Kaur off the final ball.
The tourists lost the ODI series 3-0 and the one-off test match by 10-wickets but are expected to be more competitive in the shortest format and welcome back hard-hitting allrounder, Chloe Tryone, who has recovered from a groin injury.
The series is particularly important for the teams as preparation for the T20 Women’s World Cup which will be held in Bangladesh in October in similar conditions to those expected in Chennai.
INDIA: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Richa Ghosh (wkt), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Thakur Singh
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Derckson, Eliz-Mari Marx, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko