Nadine de Klerk played an outstanding innings of an unbeaten 84 off 54 balls as South Africa came out of nowhere to stun India in Vizag and climb upwards to 4th in the points table. Nadine de Klerk was confident and determined to take her side home and she did so under pressure with flying colours. South Africa put India into bat first and restricted them to 251 despite a heroic innings from Richa Ghosh who made 94 off 77 balls and others down the order supporting her.
In the chase, South Africa were in early trouble but Laura Wolvaardt the captain held the innings together with 70 runs and Tryon made 49 down the order. But it was Nadine de Klerk who stole the show and dazzled in Vizag as her unbeaten 84 off 54 balls took South Africa over the line as the Proteas after the first game heavy loss has hit back to climb to 4th in the points table. India stays in 3rd place for the time being.
Richa Ghosh’s brilliant counterattacking 94 helps India post 251 in 49.5 overs
Put into bat first, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana came out to bat for India while Marizanne Kapp had ball in hand for South Africa. Rawal got off the mark straightaway as she clipped the ball off the pads to glance it to fine leg fence for a boundary. Rawal then punched off the back foot through the covers and backward point for a boundary. Ayabonga Khaka came to bowl from the other end. She bowled a decent first over. Kapp continued and bowled a tight over.
Rawal broke the shackles as she leaned into the drive from Khaka and guided it behind square for a boundary. Mlaba couldn’t stop the ball. Kapp continued and may have gotten rid of Rawal but she overstepped. The Free Hit yielded a boundary as Rawal got low and slogged it off inner half through square leg. Rawal then hit a delightful square drive past backward point for a boundary. Khaka continued and bowled a miserly over. Kapp too kept things under control.
Smriti Mandhana joined in the fun as she came down the track and lofted Khaka down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Kapp continued and bowled a quiet over. Nadine de Klerk came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. She was greeted by Mandhana for a boundary as Mandhana sat back and pulled it over midwicket for a boundary. The 50 came up for India in 9.1 overs and of the partnership as well. After 10 overs, India were 55/0 and got a solid foundation to do well.
Spin was introduced Nonkululeko Mlaba came into the attack next. She made an immediate impact by removing Mandhana for 23 off 32 balls with 1 four and 1 six to his name. Mlaba tossed it up nicely on the stumps. Mandhana tried to get underneath this one and looked to tonk in over long-on but got it at the bottom of the bat. Luus stationed on the boundary came in a few yards and took a safe catch. Harleen Deol came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Nadine de Klerk continued and bowled a miserly over. Mlaba continued and kept things tight. Nadine de Klerk continued. Deol beat the point fielder this time as the good length delivery and width on offer, Deol stayed back and square drove it firmly past Bosch at third point region. Mlaba continued and bowled another decent over. At Drinks, India were 71/1 in 15 overs. Nadine continued after the break and bowled a tight over. Mlaba continued and gave away 5 wides to the batting side as a bonus. ,Mlaba got her second wicket as she removed Deol for 13 off 23 balls with a boundary to her name.
Mlaba bowled a good length delivery drifting back on the leg stump line and turning further away. Deol pressed forward pretty early playing the wrong line all over. All she gets beaten on the outside edge with the ball crashing into the middle stump. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came into the attack next. Tumi Sekhukhune came into the attack now. She bowled a tight over. Mlaba continued and bowled a decent over.
Sekhukhune came back into the attack. She removed Rawal for 37 off 56 balls with 5 fours to her name. Sekhukhune departed for 37 off 56 balls with 5 fours to her name. She bowled a fuller length much slower than the previous ones. Rawal leaned forward and tried to flick the ball in the leg side but it was England who held their nerves in the end. She was denied a hundred as the catch is completed in short midwicket region. Jemimah Rodrigues came out to bat next.
Chole Tryon came into the attack and he provided the breakthrough in the evening. Jemimah was trapped in front of the stumps. Tryon bowled on a length and leg stump line. Jemimah looked to be going straight and missed the sweep on the front pad. Jemimah referred this upstairs only to find Umpire’s call on hitting the stumps. The review was retained but the batter had to go back to the hut. Deepti Sharma came out to bat next. Sekhukhune continued and bowled a decent over. Tryon kept things tight from one end. Sekhukhune bowled another decent over. The 100 came up for India in 24 overs.
Tryon returned and got rid of Kaur for 9 off 24 balls. Tryon bowled on a length just outside off-stump turning away. Kaur was down on one knee and lunging forward. She used her wrists to drive the ball through the off-side. She ended up slicing it in the air and the ball dipped in front of Kapp at backward point who was down on her knees and took the catch inches from the ground. Amanjot Kaur came out to bat next. She played out the over. India at the halfway stage of the chase were 100/5 in 25 overs.
Kapp came back into the act. She removed Deepti Sharma for 4 off 14 balls. Kapp bowled a length delivery pitched outside the leg stump. Deepti was tempted to play at that with the bowler targeting her pads throughout the over. She got a tickle on it with Jafta taking it on the rebound. Deepti went for the review but wasted it totally. Richa Ghosh came out to bat next. Tryon bowled a miserly over. Kapp continued and kept things under check.
Tryon continued as Richa broke the shackles by smashing it hard down the ground past mid-on for a boundary to get off the mark. Ayabonga Khaka came back into the attack. Ghosh greeted her with an uppish drive past mid-off for a boundary. After 30 overs, India were 114/6 with loads of work to do. Drinks was taken at this stage.
Tryon continued and bowled a miserly over. Khaka continued and bowled another good over. Ghosh broke the shackles from time to time by sweeping it down on one knee and got it uppishly behind square for a boundary in the leg side. Brits had no chance to cut this off. Sekhukhune came back into the attack and bowled a quiet over. Tryon too was giving nothing away to the batting side. Ghosh broke the shackles as she smashed Sekhykhune for the maximum out of the park to clear midwicket fence via the slog sweep.
Mlaba came back into the attack. Ghosh managed to get down on one knee and swept past short fine leg fielder for a boundary. Tryon continued as Amanjot went deep in her crease and late cut it through the vacant short third region. The fielder gave the ball chase, but the ball kept on running. The 150 came up for India in 38.1 overs. Mlaba kept things tight. The 50-run stand came up between Amanjot and Richa Ghosh as well. Tryon ended her spell with the wicket of Amanjot Kaur for 13 off 44 balls with a boundary to her name.
Tryon tossed the ball nicely around off-stump. Amanjot skipped down the wicket and looked to loft it over mid-off. She got it off the bottom part of the bat and failed to get the required timing. Luus from mid-off moved back and kept her eyes on the ball and grabbed it before tumbling on the floor. Sneh Rana came out to bat next. After 40 overs, India were 153/7.
Mlaba continued and bowled a tight over. Nadine de Klerk came back into the attack. Richa broke the shackles as she hammered the ball over midwicket region for the maximum. Rana took the attack to Mlaba as she went back in the crease and slapped it in front of square. Then she got the edge and gets it away wide off Jafta and away to the third man fence. Rana took the attack to de Klerk by playing a fine sweep just guiding the ball off the face of the bat. de Klerk gifted 5 wides as a bonus for the batting side. Ghosh got into the act by swinging hard to the off-side for a boundary.
Richa Ghosh reached her excellent fifty in 53 balls as she revived the Indian innings. Mlaba continued as Ghoshj got down on one knee and lunged forward to reverse sweep. She hit it in the air clearing the leaping Kapp at backward point for a boundary. India reached 197/7 in 45 overs. Mlaba ended her spell as well. Kapp continued as Ghosh whacked her over covers for a boundary. The 200 came up for India in 45.4 overs. The 50-run stand came up between Richa and Sneh Rana.
Khaka returned to the bowing crease as Rana welcomed her with a powerful swing of the bat down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. Ghosh then hit back-to-back boundaries off Khaka by carting over point and over backward point region as well. Ghosh then smashed Khaka over wide long-on down the ground for the maximum. Tumi Sekhukhune came back into the attack as Ghosh was put down in the deep by long-on fielder Nadine de Klerk. Ghosh launched Sekhukhune over long-off down the ground for the maximum.
Kapp came to bowl the 49th over as Rana got a leading edge over the keeper and slip fielders for a boundary. Rana managed to get the outside edge past the keeper for a boundary. Richa was dropped again this time by Bosch at deep midwicket region. Kapp eventually dismissed Rana for a good looking 33 off 24 balls with 6 fours to her name.
She bowled a short of a length delivery outside the off-stump. Rana waited for the ball to arrive and slapped it straight in the hands of Wolvaardt who didn’t have to move a step anywhere. Kranti Gaud came out to bat next. Nadine de Klerk came to bowl the final over of the innings. Richa smashed down the ground over mid-off for a boundary. Richa then drove it uppishly over backward point region as the ball raced away to the fence for a boundary.
Klerk then got rid of Ghosh for 94 off 77 balls with 11 fours and 4 sixes to her name. She bowled a full too outside the off-stump close to waist height. Richa mistimed the pull and picked up the long-on fielder. The height was checked and replays via Hawkeye deemed that the ball was legal by 4 cms. But a magnificent innings came to an end. Nallapureddy Charani came out to bat next.
Klerk dismissed Charani for a golden duck. She bowled a fuller length ball outside the off-stump line. Charani didn’t move her feet. She tried to go inside out over covers. Wolvaardt at extra cover sets her sight on the ball and moved across to take the catch. Gaud remained unbeaten on 0 off 1 ball as India’s innings ended at 251 in 49.5 overs. 25 extras given by the fielding side.
South Africa bowled well as Chloe Tryon was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/32 in 10 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba supported her with figures of 2/46 in 10 overs. Marizanne Kapp got 2/45 in 9 overs. Nadine de Klerk finished with 2/52 in 6.5 overs. Tumi Sekhukhune chipped in with 1/29 in 7 overs. Ayabonga Khaka remained wicketless and finished with 0/47 in 7 overs. This meant South Africa needed 252 runs in 50 overs to upstage the Indians.
Nadine de Klerk’s stunning unbeaten 84 off 54 balls takes South Africa over the line to leave India shell shocked
Chasing 252 for the win, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits came out to bat for South Africa while Kranti Gaud had ball in hand for India. Gaud bowled a decent first over. Amanjot Kaur had the ball in hand from the other end. Wolvaardt got the first boundary for South Africa with punch through mid-on. Gaud struck for India as she dismissed Brits for a bronze duck.
Gaud bowled a good length delivery on off-stump. Brits came down the track and drove it straight. She hit it crisply and Gaud in her follow through stuck her left hand out and grabbed it to show great reflexes. Sune Luus came to the middle next and got off the mark soon. India burnt a review against Luus off Amanjot as the decision of the onfield umpire was upheld. Gaud continued as Wolvaardt found the gap between backward point and cover point for a boundary.
Luus then clipped Amanjot for a boundary through the vacant midwicket region. Amanjot hit back and got rid of Luus for 5 off 9 balls with a boundary to her name. Amanjot bowled an away swinger on a length well outside off-stump. Luus eyes lit up on seeing the width and tried to reach out and flashed at it hard. She ended up getting an outside edge as Richa took the catch easily. Marizanne Kapp came out to the middle next.
Gaud almost had Kapp but the ball did not carry to Rawal and it was not a clean catch by any means. Sneh Rana came into the attack next. She bowled a miserly over. Wolvaardt hit Gaud for consecutive boundaries through midwicket and forward square leg respectively. Rana bowled another miserly over as South Africa at the end of the powerplay in the chase were 34/2 in 10 overs.
Nallapureddy Charani came into the attack post the powerplay. Kapp took her on and launched her down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Kapp then lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Rana continued as Wolvaardt tickled it fine past deep backward square leg for a boundary. The 50 came up for South Africa in 11.4 overs. Deepti Sharma came into the attack next as Kapp greeted her with boundary by clipping it fine through fine leg region.
Rana continued and got the breakthrough for India as she dismissed Kapp for 20 off 25 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to her name. Rana bowled a flighted delivery on a good length around off-stump straightened after pitching. Kapp took a big step forward and looked to drive it down the ground but got beaten on the outside edge. The ball hit the off-stump. Anneke Bosch came out to bat next as Drinks were taken at this stage. Bosch got off the mark next.
Deepti Sharma struck for her side as she dismissed Bosch for 1 off 2 balls. She tossed it up on the fuller side on the stumps. Bosch looked to drive it down the ground but failed to keep it down. She hit it uppishly to the right of Deepti who reacted in time and got a good catch with firm hands. Sinalo Jafta came out to bat next. She opened her account by guiding it through vacant short third region for a boundary.
Rana continued as Wolvaardt stepped outside the crease and opened the bat face through the point region for a boundary. Jafta was given a reprieve as Rodrigues put down a tough chance off Deepti Sharma at short midwicket. Charani came back for her second spell as Jafta got a boundary away past deep fine leg for a boundary. Deepti continued and bowled a miserly over. Charani got into the wickets column as she dismissed Jafta for 14 off 20 balls with 2 boundaries to her name.
Charani bowled a good length arm ball on the leg stump line. Jafta was pinned inside the crease as she went back and failed to get her bat down in time. The ball beat the inside edge and struck her on the corner of the top pad. The leg stump was visible as Jafta moved back in her crease. Jafta reviewed but Three Reds meant it was burnt. Chloe Tryon came out to bat next. South Africa were 81/5 in 20 overs in the chase.
Deepti continued as Laura came down the track to sweep it fine past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Charani bowled a maiden over. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came into the attack next. She started with a miserly spell. Charani also kept things tight. Rana too kept things under check as the Proteas got to 91/5 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the chase. Amanjot Kaur came back into the attack. Tryon broke the shackles as she used her feet and wristed it away through backward point for a boundary. Kaur returned as Laura got to her fifty in 81 balls which was her 36th ODI fifty. Charani continued as the 100 came up for South Africa in 27.4 overs.
Kaur continued as Tryon broke the shackles as she sat back in her crease and played a low pull behind square to beat short fine leg and deep backward square leg. Charani bowled a miserly spell as South Africa reached 113/5 in 30 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur continued and bowled a decent over. Deepti continued as Richa missed a stumping chance off Tryon. Drinks was taken at the score of 121/5 in 32 overs.
Rana returned after the Break as Tryon punched her away through cover and backward point for a boundary. Deepti continued as the 50-run stand came up between Laura and Tryon. Rana continued as Wolvaardt drove it through the covers for a boundary. Gaud came back into the attack and got the prized scalp of Wolvaardt for 70 off 111 balls with 8 fours to her name.
She bowled a pinpoint yorker on the stumps, Laura stayed leg side of the ball and looked to dig it out but was pretty late in bringing the bat down in time. The ball sneaked under the bottom of her bat to crash on the base of middle stump. Nadine de Klerk came out to bat next and got off the mark with a couple of runs. Charani continued as de Klerk swept her away for a boundary behind square. The 150 came up for South Africa in 36.5 overs.
Gaud continued as Tryon caressed her through the covers for a boundary. Charani continued and bowled a miserly over. Deepti continued as Tryon flicked it past short fine leg for a boundary. South Africa reached 171/6 in 40 overs and needed 81 off the last 60 balls with 4 wickets in hand.
Charani continued as de Klerk stepped down the track and whipped against the turn to deep midwicket for a boundary. Deepti continued and bowled a quiet over. Gaud came back into the attack as de Klerk stood and delivered by smashing the ball flat batted straight down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. Rana continued and bowled a decent over as the 50-run stand came up between Tryon and de Klerk.
Amanjot Kaur came back into the attack as de Klerk was on fire as she rocked back and square cut it between point and backward point for a boundary. The 200 came up for South Africa in 45 overs. 52 now was needed off 30 balls. Nadine took the attack to Rana and launched her by dancing down the track for the maximum over midwicket. Nadine then hit Rana inside out over extra cover in the gap for a boundary. Rana hit back as she got rid of Tryon for 49 off 66 balls with 5 fours to her name via a successful use of DRS.
Rana bowled a good length outside the off-stump spinning back in. Tryon was down the track and got hit on the front pad as she missed the nudge across the line. Replays showed Three Reds and the decision was changed to OUT. Ayabonga Khaka came out to bat next. Nadine then took the attack to Gaud as she swung across the line and went in front of square to clear midwicket for the maximum. She reached her fifty off 40 balls, her third ODI fifty. She hit another maximum straight down the ground for the maximum. The next ball she made room and sliced it hard over covers as the ball went away to the extra cover fence.
Richa tried to distract everyone with injury time out but that did not make any difference. Nadine then hit Deepti for a boundary past fine leg to a loose ball for a boundary. Nadine hit another boundary by using her feet and went inside out over covers for a boundary as the equation boiled down to 12 off 12 balls. Amanjot Kaur was given to bowl the 49th over. After two dot balls, Nadine bent her back knee to club it over midwicket for the maximum. Two balls later she hit the winning runs as the full toss on middle and leg stump was put away as Nadine backed away and smashed it off the middle of the bat to clear midwicket for the maximum. Nadine de Kerk remained unbeaten on 84 off 54 balls with 8 fours and 5 sixes to her name while Khaka was unbeaten on 1 off 3 balls. 8 extras given by India as South Africa got over the line by 3 wickets and 7 balls to spare.
Sneh Rana picked up 2/47 in 10 overs. Kranti Gaud finished with 2/59 in 9 overs. Amanjot Kaur finished with 1/40 in 5.5 overs. Charani finished with 1/37 in 10 overs. Deepti Sharma finished with 1/54 in 10 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur bowled 4 overs for 15 runs. So, South Africa make it 3 out of 3 against India in World Cup matches. For her breath-taking innings, Nadine de Klerk was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
After this high octane clash in Visakhapatnam, the bandwagon moves to Guwahati where New Zealand will search for their first win against Bangladesh who have one win to their name. The match will be a good one and thrilling at that. Let’s hope that the weather is pleasant there.
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