Proteas women thrash New Zealand to reignite T20 World Cup campaign

A superb bowling and fielding performance from the Proteas women inspired them to a thumping 65-run win over New Zealand in their vitally important ICC T20 Women’s World Cup pool match at Boland Park in Paarl on Monday night.

After managing a defendable 132/6 batting first, the Proteas bowlers and fielders then turned on the style as New Zealand were skittled all out for just 67 in a disastrous chase.

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It was a massively important match for both teams after the Proteas were stunned by Sri Lanka in their tournament opener, while New Zealand were thrashed by Australia.

It was thus a big match for both sides to get their campaign’s back up and running, with the Proteas pulling off a brilliant win in the end.

The Proteas top bowler, Nonkululeko Mlaba, who is ranked second on the T20 international women’s bowling rankings, starred as she picked up 3/10 off her four overs.

Opening the bowling she had both openers Bernadine Bezuidenhout, stumped by keeper Sinalo Jafta, and Suzie Bates, bowled, back in the hutch for ducks by the start of the third over and the score 7/2.

Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka then got in on the action, with Georgia Plimmer (7) and Amelia Kerr (10), both caught behind by Jafta leaving New Zealand in massive strife on 18/4 in the sixth over.

New Zealand star player Sophie Devine (16) had a massive task to drag her side back into the match, but she was unable to do it as regular wickets continued to tumble, and by the time she was trapped LBW by Chloe Tryon in the 14^th over, the match was all but done with them on 49/7.

Tryon ended with good figures of 2/12 off three overs to go with her top batting performance, while Kapp also ended with 2/12.

Decent total

At the start of play the Proteas chose to bat first and made their way to a decent total thanks to an important 47-run sixth wicket partnership between Tryon and Nadine de Klerk.

Tryon struck a solid 40 off 34 balls (6×4) and De Klerk an unbeaten 28 off 26 (2×4) as they rescued their side from a precarious position at 78/5 in the 13^th over.

Their innings got off to a poor start as Tazmin Brits was trapped LBW by Eden Carson and Marizanne Kapp (9) was caught off a top edge by Jess Kerr off the bowling of Lea Tahuhu, with them on 13/2 in the third over.

That brought captain Sune Luus, 22 off 17 balls (4×4) in to join opener Laura Wolvaardt (13) and they tried to steady the ship with a 33-run third wicket stand.

Luus was looking in particularly good form, as she struck a number of boundaries straight down the ground and square of the wicket, before she inexplicably ran herself out.

Wolvaardt tried to cut a ball from Hayley Jensen, but chopped onto her own leg, with the ball deflecting behind, and Luus called a quick single that was never on with keeper Bernadine Bezuidenhout picking the ball up and flicking it onto the stumps with Luus miles short.

Wolvaardt soon followed her captain back to the change room as she attempted a slog across the line, only to completely miss the ball and be bowled by Tahuhu, with the Proteas in trouble on 55/4 in the ninth over.

Tryon was joined by Delmi Tucker (5) and they added 23 for the fifth wicket, before Tucker got in a complete mess trying to reverse scoop the ball over the keeper but ended up being bowled by Carson.

This brought De Klerk to the crease and along with Tryon they shared in a vitally important stand that got them to a defendable score.

Tryon did fall at the end of the penultimate over, top edging a pull from Jensen to keeper Bezuidenhout, but by then they had done enough.