By Razeen Gutta
South Africa’s ICC T20 Women’s World Cup hopes took another positive step as Marizanne Kapp’s explosive knock fired the Proteas to a six-wicket win over India at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Chasing 159 in front of a partisan Indian crowd, the Proteas stumbled when Shree Charani’s double-wicket maiden removed Laura Wolvaardt for 20. Annerie Dercksen was then dismissed for. second ball duck.
At 27/2 in the sixth over, South Africa looked in trouble against spin once again.
But Kapp took control. Her unbeaten 81 off 45 balls alongside Tazmin Britz, 40 off 36, rebuilt with a match-turning 97-run stand off 63 balls.
Britz fell with 37 still needed from 24 balls, and Nadine de Klerk was bowled with 13 left to get, yet Kapp stayed ice-cold.
She launched two sixes in the 18th and 19th overs before Chloe Tryon clipped the winning boundary on the first ball of the last over, sealing the win for South Africa.
In the first innings, India raced to 59 in the powerplay through Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, but regular wickets halted their momentum.
Harmanpreet Kaur made 24 in her 200th T20I, yet Shabnim Ismail’s 2/28 and Kapp’s 2/27 restricted India to 158/7.
The win puts South Africa level with India on points behind Australia, with Bangladesh and Netherlands still to play.
Pictured above: South Africa win it!
Source: @proteaswomencsa
