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Wolvaardt, De Klerk take South Africa to thumping six-wicket win over England

hockey04 December 2024 18:20| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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South Africa’s skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, played the sheet anchor and Nadine de Klerk the aggressor as they steered their team to a thumping six-wicket victory over England in the first women’s ODI at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley on Wednesday.

The victory, in the first of three matches, was particularly welcome for the South Africans after they had been whitewashed 3-0 in the T20I series by the tourists.

Wolvaardt, who was on the field at a baking Diamond Oval for every minute of the match, finished on 59 not out in 114 balls, including seven fours, her 33rd ODI fifty.

She received some invaluable support from 23-year-old Natalie Dercksen (27 in 40 balls) in a third-wicket partnership of 58, and from Marizanne Kapp (22 at a run a ball including the game’s only six) and finally De Klerk who dominated an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 53 in 39 balls with a ferocious 48 in just 28 balls (11x4s) to take South Africa home with the luxury of 11.4 overs to spare.

There were times when the South Africans had to grind it out against the likes of England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (0-29 in 10 overs) on a slow uneven pitch that didn’t encourage flowing strokeplay, but they played sensibly knowing that they had earlier dismissed England for a below-par 186 in 38.4 overs.

Wolvaardt, who survived two chances, battled gamely early on after she lost two top-order batters, Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus, cheaply to leg before decisions that were not tested by ball-tracking on review as that machinery had broken down.

But Dercksen, Kapp and De Klerk all gave their captain excellent assistance as South Africa established an early advantage in the series.

KAPP AND DERCKSEN RESTRICT ENGLAND

Earlier, pace bowlers Kapp and Dercksen shared six wickets as South Africa dismissed England for 186 after the tourists had won the toss and opted to bat first.

Despite South Africa’s relative success, they could and probably should have dismissed England for fewer runs with Charlie Dean (47*) and Ecclestone bailing out the tourists with a record eighth-wicket partnership for England against South Africa of 67 in 69 balls.

Wolvaardt may have missed a trick after Kapp claimed 3-14 in a dynamic start for South Africa.

Kapp, swinging the ball away from the right-handed batter, grabbed the wickets of both England openers Tammy Beaumont and Sophie Dunkley, as well as the key scalp of Natalie Sciver-Brunt, leg before for a duck.

But then, with the new ball still swinging for her appreciably, Wolvaardt chose to take off her prize pacer.

And when she returned after 28 overs, Kapp was unable to swing the ball and went for 10 in the only over of her second spell.

Left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba claimed two wickets, but they were expensive as she conceded 47 runs.

Mlaba was wayward when she wasn’t penetrative and she and untidy wicketkeeping from Sinalo Jafta were jointly responsible for many of the 26 extras, including 22 wides.

As the fierce heat in Kimberley began to kick in, South Africa began to wilt in the heat and Dean, in particular, and Ecclestone began to make the hosts pay with a calm partnership that took England from a fragile 106 for seven to 173 for eight.

England captain Heather Knight held the England innings together in the early going when the tourists suffered a mini-collapse, compiling a valuable 40 in 63 balls.

But after she fell, leg before to Mlaba when attempting to sweep, it looked like England would be dismissed for less than 150.

That was the signal for the Dean/Ecclestone partnership to give the England bowlers something to bowl at.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Suné Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Chloé Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka, Ayanda Hlubi

ENGLAND: Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, Heather Knight (capt), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell

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