De Klerk gets the job done
Visakhapatnam: South Africa trumped Richa Ghosh’s vibrant 94 through collective combativeness of Laura Wolvaardt and Nadine de Klerk to eke out a thrilling three-wicket win over India in the Women’s World Cup here on Thursday.
Skipper Wolvaardt (70), Chloe Tryon (49) and Nadine de Klerk (84 not out, 54 balls) played lead roles as South Africa overhauled India’s 251, and rose to fourth position on the table.
They ended up at 252/7 in 48.5 overs.
Once half of South Africa’s batting unit returned to the hut with less than 100 on the board, their chase appeared to have been doomed.
Pacer Kranti Gaud’s stunning return catch to dismiss opener Tazmin Brits for a naught, triggered SA’s slide.
Veterans Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch and Sinalo Jafta did not last long in the middle, as South Africa slid to 81 for five.
Wolvaardt added 51 runs for the sixth wicket with Chloe Tryon to steady the ship.
She essayed some archetypal drives to reach her fifty in 81 balls, however, Gaud returned to snap the alliance with a searing yorker that crashed through Wolvaardt’s defence.
The Proteas were 142/6 then, and still 110 runs away from the target.
But Tryon and De Klerk, who clobbered Gaud for two successive sixes, braved the variety in Indian attack to stitch an alliance of 69 runs for the seventh wicket, which carried their side closer to the finishing line.
The visitors needed 52 runs off the last five overs, and surmounted that 10 runs an over situation through prudence and power of De Klerk.
Earlier, Ghosh displayed the same qualities in ample measures to roll to an innings of rare brilliance, which came in 77 balls. The right-hander found perfect pacing and placing during her fifty after walking in at a marshy 102 for six.
The rescue work started with Ghosh adding 51 runs for the steady seventh wicket with Amanjot Kaur.
A power-hitter, Ghosh curtailed her instincts and raised her fifty in 53 balls, with two slog-swept sixes off Nadine de Klerk and Tumi Sekhukhune giving her some tempo.
But Kaur departed in her effort to up the scoring rate, as India were once again pegged back at 153/7.
