In a contest billed as the biggest of the group stage, South Africa took a significant step towards the semi-finals after Marizanne Kapp led them to a six-wicket win over India. Kapp was the standout performer, excelling both with the ball and the bat, helping South Africa recover from a shaky start at 25 for 2 inside the powerplay to chase down a target of 159. She formed a crucial partnership with Tazmin Brits, who was making her first appearance in the tournament, to guide their team to victory.
The duo put on a remarkable 97 runs for the third wicket, although their partnership was not without its moments of fortune. Kapp offered two tough chances early on, at scores of 9 and 25, and a straightforward one at 65. Nevertheless, she finished the innings unbeaten on 81 off just 45 balls, steering South Africa home. Their partnership effectively neutralized India’s primary bowling threat, Deepti Sharma, who conceded 44 runs in her four overs.
On a fresh pitch at Old Trafford, India’s decision to bat first may be a point of reflection as they analyze their batting performance. After a promising start, none of their players managed to convert their starts into substantial scores, with Shafali Verma’s 31 being the highest. Kapp played a pivotal role in restricting the Indian batting line-up, finishing with figures of 2 for 27 in her four overs, making her South Africa’s most economical bowler.
The match result keeps the group stage competitive, with both India and South Africa now on four points. India faces a challenging path ahead, needing to secure victories against both Bangladesh and Australia, while South Africa’s remaining fixtures are against Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
Shafali Verma started India’s innings with her characteristic flair, quickly getting the boundary count underway with a clip through short fine leg as Kapp strayed onto her pads. However, it was when she faced Shabnim Ismail that she really began to capitalize, finding gaps and scoring freely. Smriti Mandhana joined in, driving Ismail through the covers and pulling her through fine leg, racking up 14 runs in her first over. Mandhana’s innovative batting continued as she walked down the track to Kapp, hitting her through mid-on before attempting a ramp shot that ultimately led to her dismissal.
India’s innings took a turn when Shafali, who had been looking dangerous, fell to a bouncer from Ismail. After a brief review, it was confirmed that she had gloved the ball to wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta. Yastika Bhatia followed soon after, out lbw to Ayabonga Khaka, and Jemimah Rodrigues was caught off a leading edge by Nadine de Klerk, leaving India reeling at 82 for 4 in the 11th over.
With the experienced hands of Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma at the crease, India hoped to stabilize their innings. Harmanpreet started positively with a boundary against Chloe Tryon, but her innings was cut short when she chopped on against Ismail’s wobble-seam delivery for 24 runs. South Africa’s bowlers maintained tight lines, forcing Deepti to play a risky sweep that resulted in a catch to short fine leg. Richa Ghosh also fell to Kapp’s slower delivery, and India managed a mere 36 runs off the bat in the last four overs, finishing with a total of 158 runs.
In contrast, South Africa’s innings began with a struggle as they found it difficult to get India’s bowlers away. Captain Laura Wolvaardt continued to battle for fluency, eventually falling for 20 off 19 balls after attempting to take on N Shree Charani, who took a sharp return catch. Charani’s over improved further when Annerie Dercksen was bowled after playing across the line. By the end of the powerplay, South Africa was in a precarious position at 25 for 2, well behind the required run rate.
With the experience of Kapp and the determination of Brits, South Africa began to stabilize their innings. Kapp quickly took 10 runs off the first two balls of Prema Rawat’s over, showcasing her aggressive intent. Brits, after biding her time, launched a six over long-on off Deepti Sharma, and their partnership grew to 50 in the 12th over. Despite the chances they offered, neither Kapp nor Brits allowed the pressure to affect them, even when boundaries were hard to come by.
The turning point of the innings came in the 15th over when they took 16 runs off Arundhati Reddy. Brits struck a boundary back over her head, followed by Kapp, who scooped and swept for consecutive fours, effectively breaking the back of the chase. With their partnership flourishing, South Africa was well on their way to securing a crucial victory.
SCORES:
India Women 158/7 in 20 overs [Smriti Mandhana 17, Shafali Verma 31, Yastika Bhatia 15, Jemimah Rodrigues 12, Harmanpreet Kaur 24, Deepti Sharma 29, Richa Ghosh 15; Marizanne Kapp 2-27, Shabnim Ismail 2-28, Nonkululeko Mlaba 1-33, Ayabonga Khaka 1-31, Nadine de Klerk 1-16] lost to South Africa Women 161/4 in 19.1 overs [Laura Wolvaardt 20, Tazmin Brits 40, Marizanne Kapp 81*, Chloe Tryon 10*; Shafali Verma 1-22, Shree Charani 3-24] by six wickets
[Cricinfo]
