Ruthless South Africa flex their muscles before Bangladesh clash
80-run victory over Scotland boosts South Africa’s semi-final hopes
Dubai: South Africa didn’t put a foot wrong as they raised their game on a perfect batting strip, cruising to a comfortable 80-run win over Scotland in the Group B clash of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing target of 167, Scotland crumbled under pressure, losing the match almost before they began their chase. They lost wickets in quick succession and were down to half their side by the eighth over. Their rush to score, combined with South Africa’s brilliant fielding, led to their downfall. The South African women converted half chances into stunning catches, completing their task with ease.
Skipper’s ruthless mindset
“We wanted to be ruthless and show what we are about and kill it off the way we did. Every day has been different,” South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt told the broadcasters during the post-match ceremony. The 24-year-old also became South Africa’s top run-scorer with 1,906 runs, surpassing Lizelle Lee.
“Nice to have so many bowling and all-round options. The next game against Bangladesh is a massive game for us. We need a win, and this will give us a lot of confidence to hit the ground running for that game.”
Costly drop for Scotland
The big win should boost South Africa’s net run rate, a crucial factor if there’s a tie for a semi-final spot. Apart from their batting, Scotland’s fielding let them down. A simple chance was dropped by Katherine Fraser in the second over, when South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt was on just 2 runs.
The in-form batter made Scotland pay for their mistake, and along with Tazmin Brits, gave South Africa a brisk start. The pair raced to over 10 runs an over by the end of the powerplay.
“There were a few chances we put down that proved costly, which meant we were chasing 160 instead of 140. When you’re not usually under that sort of pressure, it’s difficult to execute, something we’ll have to learn and improve,” said Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce during her post-match interview.
Marizanne Kapp shines with bat
All-rounder Marizanne Kapp was at her best, taking charge in the latter half of the innings. Her quickfire 43 took South Africa to a total of 166 for five in 20 overs, the highest score of the current Twenty20 World Cup so far.
“I was a little bit nervous at the start and knew the wicket was going to be slow. I’ve been working on a few options against spin, and it came off today. I’ve been focusing more on the basics and backing my strengths. I still would have liked if we had pushed to that 180-190 mark after our powerplay. Good lessons from this game, and now we move on to face Bangladesh in our last game,” said Kapp after receiving her Player of the Match award.
Left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was back among the wickets, claiming three, while Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk took two each to wrap up Scotland’s innings comfortably.