Wilka Mwatile's resilient batting display, Kayleen Green's remarkable three-wicket haul along with wet conditions at Achimota Senior Secondary School played a crucial role in Namibia's one-run victory via the Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) method against Team South Africa in the opening game of the Women's T20 Cricket at the 13th African Games in Accra on Thursday.
Namibia initiated the match with a first innings score of 89/7 in their 20 overs, led by Mwatile's 41-ball 37 (4 fours, 1 six), while South Africa's Jemma Botha (2-9) and Jané Winster (2-17) each took two wickets.
Team SA's chase was delayed by rain before the innings began. When play resumed, Namibia managed to restrict their opponents to 29/4 after six overs, featuring Green’s three-for, before the rain returned once again, abruptly ending the match to award Namibia a narrow one-run win via DLS.
Having won the toss and choosing to field, Team SA made a strong start with the ball. Jané Winster dismissed Jurriene Diergaardt for a duck, and seamer Leah Jones removed Merczerly Gorases (5), leaving Namibia 18/2 at the end of the powerplay.
After a stuttering start at the crease, Namibian batters Mwatile and Yasmeen Khan displayed resilience for the third wicket, taking their side to 39/2 before Ghandi Jafta (1/22) made the breakthrough, dismissing Khan for a 29-ball 17 in the 12th over.
Despite losing her partner, Mwatile contributed valuable runs in a crucial 39-run stand for the fourth wicket with Edelle van Zyl (19) before falling to Winster for 37.
With the score at 76/4 after 17 overs, Namibia lost two more wickets in their end-of-innings run-in as spinner Jemma Botha struck twice in five balls, dismissing the aggressive Van Zyl and Sylvia Shihepo (0).
In an effort to post a defendable score, Namibia witnessed their seventh and final wicket fall in the last over as wicketkeeper batter Karabo Meso completed the run out of Green (2), concluding Namibia's innings at 89/7 after their allotted 20 overs.
Capricorn Eagles posted 89/7 after 20 Overs🏏
— Official Cricket Namibia (@CricketNamibia1) March 7, 2024
Second innings is delayed due to rain. Livestream link is now available 👇https://t.co/HmBFnJp7TH#ConnectorsOfPositiveChange #CapricornEagles #EaglesPride #inova pic.twitter.com/XVUAYCoUeb
SA'S TOP-ORDER DISMANTLED
With South Africa needing 90 runs to secure victory, the start of the second innings was delayed due to light showers.
When the South African innings eventually got under way, Team SA's target was revised to 52 runs off 10 overs.
At the start of the second innings, South Africa suffered an early setback as Mwatile (1/7) and Green (3-6) dismantled Team SA's top-order, with Annerie Dercksen (0) caught out for a duck off Mwatile's bowling before Green claimed a stunning three-wicket haul in four balls, leaving the Mzansi outfit 11/4 in the 4th over.
Despite a false start, youngsters Miané Smit (12*) and Karabo Meso (3*) put up an unbeaten 18-run stand off 17 balls before inclement weather returned at the conclusion of the sixth over.
In the end, rain had the final say on the opening day of the Women's T20 Cricket event at the Games, with Namibia securing a memorable one-run DLS triumph over South Africa, propelling them to the top of Group A after the match between Tanzania and Nigeria ended in a No Result due to rain.
Team SA will continue their inaugural campaign with their second round-robin encounter against Tanzania on Friday, 8 March from 9am local time (11am SAST) at the same venue.
Team SA Assistant Coach Claire Terblanche commented after the match:
“Rain-affected games are never easy, especially when it's such a low target to actually chase, but it was in our power to do so. We didn't really play to our ability, especially up front with the bat, so coming back is going to test our character massively and the bounce-back ability of this team is massive as well.
“As the cliché goes, tomorrow's another day and we'll be back a lot stronger.” the coach concluded.
TEAM SA SQUAD
Nondumiso Shangase (Captain) (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Nobulumko Baneti (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Jemma Botha (Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Jenna Evans (DP World Lions), Gandhi Jafta (Fidelity Titans), Leah Jones (Western Province), Simone Lourens (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World Lions), Seshnie Naidu (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Kayla Reyneke (Western Province), Miané Smit (Recon Tactical Free State), Faye Tunnicliffe (Western Province), Jané Winster (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Caitlin Wyngaard (Western Province)