More cricket heartbreak and pain for Proteas and South Africa

Another Cricket World Cup final and another agonising defeat for a South African team.

This country’s long wait for a major limited overs cricket trophy continues after the Proteas women’s team crashed in the Women’s T20 World Cup final to New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday, the Kiwis eventually winning a fairly one-sided final by 32 runs.

The defeat was the second in a row for South Africa’s inspirational women’s team after they also lost the final, played on home soil at Newlands in Cape Town last year, to Australia by 19 runs.

The defeat on Sunday was also South Africa’s second loss in a T20 final this year, after the Proteas men’s team were beaten by just seven runs by India in the last match of the tournament held in the Caribbean in June. It was the first time the Proteas men’s side had reached a global limited overs final, after years of near misses and close calls.

New Zealand’s victory on Sunday was their first major title triumph after dominance by mainly Australia in the women’s game, but also good performances by India and England over the years.

Wolvaard, Brits stand tall

While the Springboks edged the All Blacks by one point, 12-11, in the men’s Rugby World Cup final played in Paris last October, Sunday was New Zealand’s day as their side, led by seasoned campaigner Sophie Devine, 35, lifted their first major women’s cricket trophy.

It will be a day many of them will remember for a long time, none more so than 37-year-old Suzie Bates, who contributed an important 32 off 31 at the top of her team’s innings.

All-rounder Amelia Kerr, who ended the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets, picking up a further three for 24 on Sunday, also scored 43 off 38 in her time at the crease, to cement her place in cricketing history and become an instant Kiwi hero.

Despite New Zealand’s win, Proteas women’s captain Laura Wolvaardt finished as the competition’s leading run scorer with 223 runs, while fellow opener Tazmin Brits was second best scorer with 187 runs.

Anneke Bosch’s 74 not out in the brilliant semi-final win over Australia on Thursday was the top individual score of the competition, while slow left arm bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba picked up 12 wickets to be second behind Kerr for wickets taken in the UAE.

After Wolvaardt had won the toss earlier in the day, New Zealand scored an intimidating 158 for five in their 20 overs, leaving South Africa having to score at a rate of 7.95 per over to reach their target of 159 to win the World Cup.

While Wolvaardt and Brits started well, putting on 51 in 6.5 overs to get South Africa off to the perfect start, when Brits fell shortly thereafter for 17 off 18, followed not long after by the captain for an excellent 33 off 27 to leave the Proteas on 59/2 after 9.1 overs, the pressure mounted and South Africa’s innings stuttered to its conclusion.

After their 20 overs, the Proteas had reached 126 for nine, losing by 32 runs.