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Proteas women ease to T20 World Cup win over Bangladesh

olympics12 October 2024 17:23| © MWP
By:Ross Roche
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The Proteas women made easy work of their below-par chase as they cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup pool match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.

After Bangladesh won the toss and were restricted to 106/3 batting first after a relatively disciplined Proteas bowling effort, Tazmin Brits, 42 off 41 balls (5x6) and Anneke Bosch (25) set up the win with a 53-run second-wicket partnership.

Marizanne Kapp (14*) and Chloe Tryon (13*) then put the finishing touches on the chase with an unbeaten 26-run fourth-wicket stand to take them over the line with 16 balls to spare.

The win moves the Proteas to the top of pool B, but England still have two more pool games and the West Indies have one left, so they have not sealed their place in the semifinals as of yet.

“It was really good to get the win. I think the way we started with the ball, Kappie and Aya (Ayobonga Khaka) were absolutely excellent and (Nonkululeko) Mlaba was amazing again,” said captain Laura Wolvaardt after the match.

“We would have liked to chase it (the target) down a bit quicker. We did try, that was the message that went out. We didn’t quite manage that, but I think the win is the main thing.

“I guess we now have to wait around for the other results and hopefully we have done enough to get the (semifinal) spot.”

The Proteas' chase got off to a decent start as 17 came off the first two overs, but Wolvaardt (7) didn’t look very comfortable and after being dropped in the second over, was stumped by keeper Nigar Sultana off the bowling of Fahima Khatun with the score 23/1.

That brought Bosch in to join Brits and they eased the Proteas to 36/1 at the end of the powerplay, before Brits received a reprieve as she was dropped on 21 on the boundary by Khatun, off the bowling of Rebeya Khan.

They took their side to 63/1 at the halfway mark, and just as they were trying to open up to try boost their net run rate prospects, both betters fell in quick succession.

Bosch reverse swept Khatun straight to Nahida Akter at backward point, and Brits was bowled by Ritu Moni, as they slipped to 81/3 in the 14th over, but Kapp and Tryon were untroubled taking them home in the end.

DECENT BOWLING EFFORT

In the first innings the Proteas bowlers put in a decent effort, but will be disappointed having not taken as many wickets as they would have liked, while they also conceded 11 wides which boosted Bangladesh’s total.

It was, however, the perfect start to the match for them as star allrounder Kapp had opener Dilara Akter out for a second-ball duck, with her getting an edge to keeper Sinalo Jafta.

Some tight bowling from Kapp and Khaka kept Bangladesh very quiet over the rest of the powerplay as they finished their first six overs on 21/1.

Opener Shathi Rani (19) had struggled particularly, only scoring seven off her first 25 balls, but she was then dropped by Khaka off the bowling of Nadine de Klerk, which allowed her to hit a boundary and slog a six over wide long on off Annerie Dercksen in the eighth over.

But Dercksen got her revenge a few balls later having Rani well caught by Bosch running in off the boundary, as they slipped to 36/2 before reaching the halfway mark on 43/2.

Sobhana Mostary (38) and Sultana (32*) struggled to score at a decent rate, but managed to combine for a 45-run stand off 55 balls as they tried to give themselves a platform to fire from.

At the start of the 18th over Mostary came down the wicket at spinner Mlaba, missed and was bowled leaving them on 81/3.

Some good running between the wickets and a couple of boundaries off the bat of Sultana then gave Bangladesh a slight boost at the end of their innings as 23 came off the last two overs to get them over the hundred run mark.

BANGLADESH: Shathi Rani, Dilara Akter, Sobhana Mostary, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Shorna Akter, Murshida Khatun, Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, Marufa Akter

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka

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