Wolvaardt scores century as South Africa takes series lead

Laura Wolvaardt led from the front with a brilliant captain’s innings after posting her first Twenty20 International (T20I) 100.

The Proteas scored their second-highest total in the format to get their series with Sri Lanka positively underway.

Wolvaardt scored 102 off 63 deliveries after combining with all-rounder Marizanne Kapp to help South Africa win the opening fixture of the three-match series by 79 runs on March 27 at Willowmoore Park.

The hosts posted 198/5, thanks to a second-wicket partnership of 116 between Wolvaardt and Kapp and then had the visitors skittled out for 119 on a flat deck after a great bowling and fielding display from South Africa.

Batting first, the Proteas started aggressively with opener Tazmin Brits (15) scoring three boundaries, including one that nearly knocked out Wolvaardt, before hitting by Inoshi Priyadharshani straight to Chamari Athapaththu at mid-off in the third over.

Kapp was promoted to bat at three and made the most of the opportunity with her fourth half-century in the format, in an innings that included four boundaries and three maximums before falling to Achini Kulasuriya for 60.

But Wolvaardt grabbed all the attention with 12 fours and three sixes, including a glorious shot over extra cover that brought South Africa’s 50. She reached her 50 off 39 balls and century off 61. She was dismissed for a well-crafted captain’s knock of 102 by Kulasuriya in the 18th over.

Sune Luus added 14 runs to the total before she was run out by Athapaththu but South Africa had already posted a healthy total, riding on the hard work of Kapp and Wolvaardt’s partnership early in the innings.

Kulasuriya was Sri Lanka’s pick of the bowlers but her team will have themselves to blame for their poor fielding, especially after dropping Wolvaardt while in the 60s and Kapp in the 20s, which they paid dearly for.

It was always going to be difficult for the visitors as their highest score in the format is 182 scored against Scotland in 2022. Their innings suffered a major setback early on when Kapp had Athapaththu caught behind by keeper Sinalo Jafta with the final ball of the first over.

Masabata Klaas piled on the pressure for Sri Lanka in the power play with the wicket of Vishmi Gunaratne in the fourth over but Harshith Samarawickrama and Hasani Perera briefly wrestled control with a 44-run third-wicket stand to give their team a sniff.

However, it was game over after Naidine de Klerk dismissed Perera (30 off 19) and Annerie Dercksen got rid of Samarawickrama (38 off 33) as the wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.

Dercksen and Tumi Sekhukhune took two wickets each as South Africa eventually dismissed Sri Lanka for 119 inside 19 overs to take a series lead.

The teams will clash again in the second T20I on March 30 at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom before the last match at Buffalo Park in East London on April 3.

The three-match ODI series will begin on April 9.

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