Batting, bowling, fielding: All-round effort required in T20 World Cup final

To win a cricket World Cup title, teams need to perform well across all areas of the game.

The Proteas have done better in some facets than others during the T20 Women’s World Cup in the UAE.

Ahead of Sunday’s final, we look at how well they’ve done thus far, and what they need to get right in the trophy battle.

Batting

It’s difficult to criticise the Proteas top order for their efforts throughout the five matches they have played at the tournament.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt (190 runs) and fellow opener Tazmin Brits (170) were at the top of the run-scorers list ahead of last night’s semifinal between West Indies and New Zealand, while Anneke Bosch had made 128 in four innings.

All three players, however, have scored their runs at a strike rate of less than 115, and they haven’t always shown the urgency that’s usually required to win big T20 matches.

Marizanne Kapp, who has contributed 83 runs in three innings, has been able to change gears for her team further down the order, scoring at a strike rate of 151.85. But the players who take to the field ahead of her in the batting line-up might need to show more early intent and build on the intensity throughout their innings.

Bowling

Some of the Proteas bowlers have hit their straps throughout the showpiece.

Spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba has been widely praised for her efforts with the ball, and she was in a tie for top spot among the tournament’s leading wicket takers (ahead of last night’s second semifinal) with 10 scalps from five games at an average of 10.50, while seamer Marizanne Kapp had taken five wickets at an economy rate of 4.27.

Leading the attack, both bowlers have done well to contain the opposition, playing key roles in helping the national squad progress to the trophy contest.

But no other bowler in the team has taken more than three wickets, and they need more of an all-round effort, striking more often to prevent partnerships from building.

Ayabonga Khaka stood up in their semifinal against Australia, taking 2/24, and hopefully we see more of that in tomorrow’s crunch clash.

Fielding

This has undoubtedly been the national team’s weakest area at the T20 World Cup, and as well as they have played in other facets, they could have wrapped up cleaner victories if they were tighter in the field.

As they say, catches win matches, and in the unpredictable T20 format, holding onto the ball can make all the difference between winning and losing trophies at the highest level of the game.

Throwing away chances with sloppy fielding gives the opposition more opportunities to build momentum and rack up big totals, and if they want to keep up the pressure and reward their bowlers, the Proteas will need to be as sharp as we know they can be in the field.

They also need to be accurate, and if there are any desperate attempts from the batting side to score quickly, the SA team’s fielders must take their run-out chances.