An all-round performance from Marizanne Kapp helped the Proteas women clinch a thumping, farcical weather affected 150-run win over Pakistan in their World Cup pool match at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday night, to move top of the log with one game remaining.
Their fifth straight win from six games sees the Proteas on 10 points, one ahead of Australia and England, who both have played five, but face each other in Indore on Wednesday.
It is an amazing turnaround after the Proteas were bowled out for 69 and hammered by 10 wickets by England in their tournament opener, but have responded by winning everything since, starting against New Zealand, followed by India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and now Pakistan.
Their latest match was an incredibly frustrating affair as they faced multiple rain delays throughout both innings, before the Proteas were forced to rush through eight overs to constitute a game, as Pakistan closed their insurmountable chase on 83-7 off 20 overs to lose on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
But the match was won in the first innings, when the Proteas were powered by half centuries from captain Laura Wolvaardt, Kapp, Sune Luus and a cameo from Nadine de Klerk that saw them amass a huge 312-9 in their 40 overs.
“It (batting) was pretty good. Scoring 312 in 40 overs is really nice for us. Obviously performances all-round. Kappie was amazing in the middle, I think Nadine was sensational at the end, and it’s just really nice seeing everyone chipping in at different phases in the line-up,” said Wolvaardt after the match.
“We thought our seamers would be big up front (in the chase). When we were batting there was bit in it for the seam up front, so we thought Kappie and Aya would be good, they were excellent and taking those few wickets up front really shifted that Duckworth-Lewis heavily in our favour going back after the rain.”
RAIN, RAIN AND MORE RAIN
Pakistan were set a DLS adjusted target of 306 in their 40 over chase, which was already an unlikely task, before being reduced to 35-4 after 10 overs.
What followed was then farcical scenes as the players walked on and off the field multiple times, as the rain stopped and started, with Pakistan set targets of 299 off 37 overs, 270 off 27 and 262 off 25.
Play finally restarted with Pakistan moving to 48-4 after 12 overs, when rain again returned and sending players off, with them returning just in time for a final restart with Pakistan needing an impossible 234 off 20 overs to win, which they ended well short of.
Kapp was the star of the show, picking up 3-20 in five overs to go with her unbeaten half century, while Nondumiso Shangase, 2-19, and Ayabonga Khaka, 1-14, also picked up wickets.
SA BATTERS DELIVER
At the start of the match, Pakistan won the toss and sent the Proteas in to bat, but it seemed to be the wrong call with the South Africans in a no-nonsense mood.
Wolvaardt top scored and was unlucky to miss out on a century, hitting two sixes and 10 fours in her 82-ball 90, while Luus backed her up at the top of the order with 61 off 59 balls (8x4; 2x6).
Kapp was brilliant down the back end, cracking an unbeaten 68 off 43 (6x4; 3x6), and De Klerk was at her brutal best hammering four sixes and three fours in her 41 off just 16.
Just two overs were possible at the start of the innings, which also saw the back of Tazmin Brits for a fourth-ball duck, as Fatima Sana got one to nip away and catch the edge, with Natalia Pervaiz completing the catch in the slips.
The rain then came down, chasing the players from the field, and after an over two-hour break they returned, the game having been reduced to 40-overs-a-side, with Wolvaardt and Luus immediately setting about a strong 118-run second wicket stand to set the platform.
Wolvaardt was initially the aggressor, before Luus, who had started slowly, took charge and moved ahead of her captain as both brought up their half centuries while pushing their side past 100, when Luus hit Nashra Sandhu straight to Diana Baig at extra cover with the score 123-2 after 17 overs.
That became 148-3 when Annerie Dercksen (9) was run out, bringing Kapp to the crease, and she shared in a 64-run partnership with Wolvaardt as the Proteas crossed 200.
Wolvaardt finally fell in the 31st over, coming down the wicket at Sandhu, but missed the ball that spun away, with wicketkeeper Sidra Nawaz catching and whipping off the bails to send her on her way.
Karabo Meso edged Sandhu to Nawaz at the end of the over for a third-ball duck, with the score 212-5, while Chloe Tryon, 21 off 16 (3x4), knocked a few boundaries before edging Sadia Iqbal behind, leaving them on 253-6 after 36 overs.
It was then the De Klerk and Kapp show as they shared in a blitz 52-run stand off just 20 balls, followed by an action packed last over that saw a four, a six and three wickets to end a breathtaking first half of the match.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Karabo Meso (wk), Nondumiso Shangase, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
PAKISTAN: Omaima Sohail, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (capt), Sidra Nawaz (wk), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal
