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Klaas, Kapp ‘klap’ West Indies

rugby21 January 2023 16:20| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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The Momentum Proteas strolled to a comfortable 44-run victory over a disappointing West Indies team in their Betway tri-nations women’s match at Buffalo Park in East London on Saturday afternoon.

South Africa’s bowlers and fielders showed much improved form from their poor showing against India earlier in the week, restricting the West Indies to 94 for eight after recording 141/5 with the bat.

This was the islander’s 10th defeat in their last 11 matches and they played with little spirit or nous.

The South African bowlers rightly bowled a full length on the slow pitch, focusing on bowling cutters to make life more difficult for the visitors’ batters.

In this they succeeded, particularly after they broke the opening partnership of 32 between West Indies’ captain Hayley Matthews and Britney Cooper.

Cooper became pace bowler Masabata Klaas’s first victim, driving to mid-off in the sixth over but then the innings fell away sharply with Klaas going on to record career-best figures of 4-21 in her four overs, earning herself the player of the match award.

The fielding too was much improved, exemplified by Delmi Tucker’s fine stop and throw in the covers to run out Rashada Williams, while Laura Wolvaardt’s fine catch at point off a powerful cut from Matthews (23 off 35 balls) was the key wicket the Proteas needed.

Despite the weak opposition provided by the West Indies’ batters, the South African bowlers certainly upped their performance from Thursday’s limp effort against India with Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba also rewarded with a wicket apiece for their disciplined efforts.

Earlier, Marizanne Kapp struck her second T20I half-century to lead the Proteas to a respectable 141 for five wickets after they won the toss and opted to bat first on a humid day in East London.

South Africa would have been pleased to have performed better with the bat than their limp effort against India on Thursday, but frustrated that they didn’t punish a ring-rusty West Indian attack more clinically.

The key to the Proteas’ batting is often opener Wolvaardt. If she can bat through most of the innings, South Africa will usually prosper.

But, after a few elegant pulls and cover-drives, she flashed outside her off-stump against Shabika Gajnabi and was caught behind for 25 in 30 balls.

Her partner, Anneke Bosch, had departed early, driving pace bowler Shamilia Connell tamely to mid-off so it was important that Kapp – promoted to No 3 – and her captain, Sune Luus, provided the key partnership.

This the pair did, adding 62 for the third wicket. Despite the good figures, the South Africans failed to punish a West Indian attack that in the main bowled far too short on a slow pitch.

But time and again the batters found the fielder in the inner ring and on the boundary as the scoring rate began to slow after a brisk seven-an-over first power play.

Eventually Kapp and Luus departed in pursuit of quicks runs, with Luus run out and Kapp (52 off 43 balls with five fours) caught at deep mid-off and the South African innings finished on a quiet note.

As it turned out, the home side had accumulated more than enough runs to overcome the opposition.

For the West Indies, only Connell (2-17 in three overs) among the pacers bowled with sufficient discipline and it was surprising that she didn’t bowl her full complement of overs.

They certainly have much to ponder before their match against India on Monday.

This is a warm-up competition prior to South Africa hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup between 10-26 February in Cape Town, Paarl and Gqeberha.

MOMENTUM PROTEAS: Anneke Bosch, Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus (capt), Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

WEST INDIES WOMEN: Hayley Matthews (capt), Rashada Williams (wk), Britney Cooper, Shemaine Campbelle, Chedean Nation, Shamilia Connell, Shabika Gajnabi, Afy Fletcher, Shakera Selman, Kaysia Schultz, Karishma Ramharack

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