Are the Proteas Women becoming the best chasers in world cricket?
Cricket
The Proteas Women’s cricket team is emerging as top chasers in world cricket, overcoming poor starts and securing victories with standout performances, particularly from Nadine de Klerk, in the ongoing Women’s Cricket World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Image: AFP
Much like the men’s team at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, this Proteas Women’s side is becoming rather good at chasing down scores, despite bad starts on a number of occasions.
The poorest start at this Women’s Cricket World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, of course, was against England when South Africa crashed to 69 all out. There was simply no recovering from that as SA unsurprisingly lost by 10 wickets in what was the worst possible opening to their campaign.
Since then though, it’s been three wins on the trot for the Proteas.
Against New Zealand, South Africa made light work of their 232 victory target as Tazmin Brits scored a century and Sune Luus ended unbeaten with 82 as they coasted to a six-wicket victory with over nine overs to spare.
Nadine de Klerk’s Heroic Innings Secures South Africa’s Victory Against India
Their next two matches, however, seemed to show the real character of the side and on both occasions allrounder Nadine de Klerk provided a starring role with the bat down the order.
Against hosts India last week, a victory target of 252 seemed rather imposing.
Despite a solid opening knock from skipper Laura Wolvaardt (70), the Proteas were circling the drain at 81/5. Even after a sixth wicket stand of 61 between Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon (49), it seemed once more that the game was out of reach when the captain departed with the score on 142/5 with 14 overs remaining.
Still needing 110, in stepped De Klerk. Even though Tryon was still there at the other end, De Klerk scored 84 of the remaining runs as she cleared the boundary six times and also struck eight fours.
Even when the required run-rate appeared to be spiralling out of control, De Klerk held her nerve as she continued to strike the ball powerfully and seemingly with ease.
Ultimately, South Africa won the match by three wickets with seven balls to spare as De Klerk pulled off something of a miracle almost completely on her own at the end.
In fact, when Tryon was out, at 211/7 South Africa still needed 41 runs in 4.1 overs. Ayabonga Khaka scored just one of those runs, while De Klerk and extras accounted for the rest.
Nadine de Klerk’s Heroics Secure South Africa’s Victory Against Bangladesh
Against Bangladesh on Monday, it was a similar story chasing 233 to win as South Africa were first reduced to 78/5 when Nadine de Klerk walked in. This time Marizanne Kapp scored 56 and Chloe Tryon starred again with 62.
But when Kapp was out, South Africa fell to 163/6 still needing 70 runs from 58 balls. Like Lance Klusener all those years ago, De Klerk batted with her lower order partner Masabata Klaas (10 not out) and kept up with the rate.
This time De Klerk struck one six and four fours to end 37 not out to help South Africa to victory with three balls to spare. In both matches, South Africa and De Klerk, in particular, showed nerves of steel when the chips were down.
It could have easily been three losses out of four for the Proteas, but like title-winning sides always demonstrate - they were able to manage the pressure better than the opposition to bag the victory. Unlike in 1999, there’s every reason to believe that the Proteas can go all the way.