Marizanne Kapp starred with the bat and ball as she led the Proteas women to a thumping 89-run win over Australia in the second ODI at the North Sydney Oval in Sydney on Wednesday.
It is a historic first ever win for the Proteas over Australia in ODIs, backing up their first every T20I win over the hosts in Australia last month, and levelled up the three- match series ahead of the decider at the same ground on Saturday.
Talismanic allrounder Kapp scored fifty and retired hurt in the first ODI, which Australia won by eight wickets, and was a doubt for the match, but proved her fitness and played a pivotal role in getting her side the win.
She hit 12 boundaries in scoring 75 off 87 balls to help the Proteas reach 229/6 batting first in the weather-affected match that was reduced to 45-overs-a-side after two rain delays, and then picked up 3-12 in five overs to help limit the Aussies to 149 all out as they fell short of the adjusted target.
Marizanne Kapp's player of the match performance leads South Africa to their first-ever WODI win over Australia đ€©#HereForHer | #AUSWvSAW
â SuperSport đ (@SuperSportTV) February 7, 2024
Kapp ran rampant at the start of the Australian chase, getting some great swing to nick off captain Alyssa Healy (4) caught by keeper Sinalo Jafta, and then got one to tail back in and hit the top of Beth Mooneyâs middle stump for a second-ball duck.
She followed that up by trapping Phoebe Litchfield (14) LBW with another ball that swung back in to hit her on the back thigh, with the hosts in trouble on 34/3 in the seventh over.
Debutant Ayanda Hlubi was delighted as she had Ellyse Perry (2) caught by caught by Anneke Bosch in the slips, while Eliz-mari Marx had Annabel Sutherland (1) caught behind by Jafta, and Hlubi bowled Georgia Wareham for a fifth-ball duck as they crashed to 59/6.
A Dream Debut for Ayanda Hlubi đ
â Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) February 7, 2024
It was written in the stars đ
âEllyse Perry
âGeorgia Wareham #WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #AUSWVSAW pic.twitter.com/PJPy4brdT5
Nadine de Klerk then struck twice in one over, having Tahlia McGrath (22) caught by Jafta and Alana King caught by Chloe Tryon for a third-ball duck, with the game effectively over with Australia 71/8 after 14 overs.
Ash Gardner (35) and Kim Garth (42*) made sure it wouldnât be a complete walkover with a defiant 77-run ninth-wicket stand, but Marx broke the resistance having Gardner caught behind, followed by Tryon trapping Schutt (1) LBW to end the match.
KAPP STARS WITH THE BAT
In the first innings Kapp was the bedrock of the innings, while Bosch scored a confident 44 off 46 (9x4, 1x6) and Tryon, 37* off 36 balls (3x4, 1x6), finished the innings with a flourish to set the hosts a tricky target to chase.
It was however a poor start as captain Laura Wolvaardt loosely drove at the third ball of the day from Megan Schutt, only to get a thick outside edge to Beth Mooney in the slips.
Tazmin Brits (21) and Bosch then combined for a 55-run second-wicket stand as they looked to give their side a good platform, but Bosch lived a bit of a charmed life with her dropped on one and given out LBW on five, only to successfully review the decision.
Having moved past the 50 run mark in the 12th over, Brits fell in the next, with her never looking comfortable in her 41-ball stay, before she hit Sutherland straight to McGrath at mid-off.
Bosch was looking very comfortable though and launched McGrath over deep midwicket for six in the 15th, but in the next over after hitting Gardner for a boundary, she had one big shot too many and sent the ball straight to Sutherland at long on as the Proteas slipped to 71/3.
That brought Kapp in to join Sune Luus (19) and they added 46 for the fourth wicket, taking the Proteas past 100 in the 23rd over, before Luus was undone by the Sutherland-Gardner partnership again with them on 117/4.
De Klerk (14) and Kapp set about a 36-run stand, with the first of the rain delays coming during their partnership.
After returning they took the Proteas over the 150 mark in the 32nd over, only for De Klerk to edge Garth to keeper Healy at the end of the over, leaving the Proteas on 153/5.
Tryon was given out LBW first ball to King, but successfully reviewed the decision, with DRS showing the ball bouncing over the stumps, which proved crucial as she initially played a support role for Kapp.
After the second short rain delay Kapp reached her half century with an inside edge for four past the keeper off King in the 35th over.
Having moved their partnership to 45 runs and looking to up the rate, Kapp finally holed out after not getting hold of a Schutt full toss in the 42nd over.
Marx (1*) was a virtual spectator in the closing overs as Tryon dominated their unbeaten 31-run stand, including smashing 18 off the penultimate over of the innings bowled by Schutt.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Nadine De Klerk, Eliz-mari Marx, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Masabata Klaas, Ayanda Hlubi
AUSTRALIA: Alyssa Healy (capt, wk), Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Ash Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Alana King, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt