South Africa Semi-Final Hopes Boosted By Spinners – Kapp And Brits. South Africa women cricket team showcased their grit and determination in the final league stage of the Women T20 World Cup 2024, held in Dubai, with a remarkable victory over Bangladesh. This crucial win helped the Proteas secure six points, alongside a solid net run rate of 1.382, enhancing their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals. The match, which saw South Africa dominate with both bat and ball, ended Bangladesh’s run in the tournament, leaving them with only a single win.
South Africa’s balanced approach, strong performances by spinners, and key contributions from all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and opener Tazmin Brits played pivotal roles in securing a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh. In a game where every run mattered, both teams adopted a cautious batting approach, but it was South Africa’s consistency that ultimately helped them prevail.
South Africa vs. Bangladesh
The final league game for both South Africa and Bangladesh was played with high stakes, with South Africa aiming to secure their semi-final spot and improve their Net Run Rate (NRR). Bangladesh, on the other hand, had nothing to lose and were looking to end their campaign on a positive note. South Africa’s goal was not only to win but also to chase the target swiftly to ensure their NRR remained high enough to avoid depending on the outcome of other matches in the group.
The Bangladeshi innings started cautiously, with the team managing to score only 106 for 3 in their 20 overs. Despite this, the South African bowlers, especially the spinners, put the brakes on Bangladesh’s scoring. Nonkululeko Mlaba was exceptional with her accurate spin bowling, claiming a crucial wicket that tied her with Kapp for the most wickets by a South African player in a single edition of a Women’s T20 World Cup.
With South Africa needing 107 runs to win, the chase was never going to be a walk in the park. The Proteas’ top order, led by Brits, took the cautious route, and although there were moments when Bangladesh looked like they could create pressure, South Africa calmly completed the chase with 16 balls to spare.
Bangladesh Struggles to Set a Competitive Target
Bangladesh’s decision to bat first after winning the toss was an effort to challenge South Africa’s bowlers on what seemed like a slow, spinning track in Dubai. Their hopes, however, were dashed early as they lost Dilara Akter in the very first over, with a fine edge finding its way into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. South Africa, known for their strong pace attack, continued to pressurize the Bangladeshi batters in the powerplay, keeping the spinners in reserve until the eighth over.
The first six overs of Bangladesh’s innings saw them score at a snail’s pace. Shathi Rani, trying to anchor the innings, faced 23 deliveries but struggled to find any rhythm, playing out 18 dot balls. While her intent was visible, with attacking shots attempted on 50% of the balls she faced, the results didn’t favor her. Rani only managed to score 12 runs, hitting just one four and one six. Bangladesh’s innings was stagnating, and when Rani was dismissed in the eighth over, the scoreboard read a precarious 36 for 2.
The Resistance from Mostary and Nigar
Bangladesh’s innings was somewhat rescued by Sobhana Mostary and captain Nigar Sultana, who added 45 runs for the third wicket. Their partnership, while not fast-paced, gave Bangladesh a chance to post a respectable total. Mostary played with caution, trying to build the innings while Nigar displayed her typical calm and collected approach, remaining unbeaten on 32 by the end of the innings.
Though boundaries were hard to come by, and the South African spinners kept the run rate in check, Mostary and Nigar managed to avoid a complete collapse, which had become a recurring issue for Bangladesh in this tournament. Nonkululeko Mlaba, with her sharp and well-executed spin, eventually dismissed Mostary, adding another wicket to her tally, tying Kapp’s record.
In the final two overs, Bangladesh finally found some momentum, adding 23 runs thanks to some excellent running between the wickets by Nigar and Shorna Akter. Their ability to rotate the strike and find gaps for doubles helped them push their total past the 100-run mark, ending at 106 for 3. Though it was the lowest score by any team batting out their full quota of 20 overs in this tournament, Bangladesh had at least given their bowlers something to defend.
South Africa Controlled Chase
South Africa’s chase began with intent as Tazmin Brits got the team off to a brisk start, hitting three boundaries in the first two overs. Alongside Laura Wolvaardt, Brits made sure that the Proteas stayed on track for their target, though they didn’t need to chase aggressively.
Wolvaardt looked comfortable at the crease but was soon undone by a flighted delivery from leg-spinner Fahima Khatun, who managed to deceive her with a well-bowled, looping delivery, knocking over her stumps. This brought Anneke Bosch to the crease, but she too struggled initially, with both Brits and Bosch unable to rotate the strike freely against Bangladesh’s spinners.
Brits, though, survived a few close calls and took advantage of a dropped catch by Fahima at deep midwicket, which allowed her to build her innings further. At one point, she was scoring at a run-a-ball rate, but her ability to accelerate when required kept South Africa in control of the chase. When Brits was finally dismissed for 42 in the 14th over, South Africa was in a commanding position, needing only a few runs to wrap up the game.
Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon added the finishing touches, steering South Africa to a comfortable seven-wicket victory. While their chase wasn’t flashy, it was efficient and achieved the desired result – a crucial win and the necessary boost to their net run rate, which could be the deciding factor in their semi-final qualification.
The Role of Spinners and Kapp Bowling Brilliance
South Africa’s spinners played a pivotal role in restricting Bangladesh to a below-par score. Mlaba’s control and ability to extract turn from the surface made life difficult for the Bangladeshi batters. Her dismissal of Mostary not only broke the crucial third-wicket partnership but also brought her level with Kapp as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in a single edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Marizanne Kapp, a key figure in South Africa’s bowling lineup, was once again instrumental, conceding only 10 runs in her four overs and taking a wicket. Her tight bowling and clever variations ensured that Bangladesh’s batters couldn’t score freely, particularly in the death overs. Together, Kapp and Mlaba kept the pressure on Bangladesh throughout their innings, ensuring that South Africa would have a manageable target to chase.
South Africa NRR Challenge and Semi-Final Hopes
While South Africa’s victory over Bangladesh secured them two points, the Proteas are now in a race against time as they await the results of the remaining group stage matches, particularly between England and the West Indies. South Africa’s Net Run Rate (NRR) dipped slightly from 1.527 to 1.382 due to their relatively slow chase. This NRR will be crucial in determining whether they make it to the semi-finals or not.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt acknowledged that their approach was to control the NRR during the chase, and although the team managed a comfortable win, there will be a few nervous days ahead as they watch the outcomes of other games.
Conclusion
South Africa’s clinical performance against Bangladesh showcased their strengths in both batting and bowling. The Proteas, led by strong individual performances from Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, and Nonkululeko Mlaba, have given themselves a solid chance to progress to the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. However, their fate is not entirely in their hands, as they await the final results of the other group stage fixtures.
