South Africa secured a remarkable triumph over Bangladesh in a dramatic ODI series decider at Benoni’s Willowmoore Park on Saturday, December 23. The series was tied at 1-1, further intensifying the rivalry between the two clubs. Tazmin Brits and skipper Laura Wolvaardt achieved a remarkable partnership of 243 runs for the opening wicket, leading their side to a decisive victory to conclude the year 2023 on a victorious note. South Africa won the coin toss and chose to bat first on a surface that favored the batsmen.
After a significant loss of 119 runs in the first ODI, South Africa made a strong comeback with unwavering will. Wolvaardt achieved her fifth century in One Day International (ODI) matches, which is her second century this year. She formed an excellent partnership with the Brits, who scored her first century in this format. Marufa Akter successfully ended Wolvaardt’s partnership by dismissing her for an impressive score of 126 off 134 deliveries in the 43rd over. The British players replicated the action in the next over, being dismissed after scoring an astounding 118 runs off 124 deliveries.
The South African bowlers caused significant damage to the Bangladeshi team during the middle phase of the match.
Anneke Bosch, with a score of 28 runs off 19 balls, and Sune Luus, with a score of 34 runs off 17 balls, increased the pace of the game, leading the home team to a dominant total. Rabeya Khan excelled as the most prominent bowler for Bangladesh, achieving figures of 2 for 49 in her 10 overs. Nevertheless, Bangladesh’s pursuit of the target lacked impetus, as Ritu Moni emerged as the sole batswoman to surpass the 20-run milestone, accumulating 33 runs from 67 deliveries, including four boundaries.
South Africa’s bowlers demonstrated early dominance, as Marizanne Kapp secured two vital wickets in the initial powerplay. Regrettably, Kapp had an ankle injury during the 11th over, which resulted in her withdrawal from the game after inadvertently stepping on a sprinkler cover positioned at midwicket. Ayabonga Khaka and Nadine de Klerk collaborated, together taking six wickets and effectively shredding Bangladesh’s batting lineup. Bangladesh suffered a significant loss, with 18.5 overs remaining unused in their innings, as South Africa won by a massive score of 216 runs.
India
