22|04|04

by Scent Senti

South Africa defeated India by 9 wickets with 21 balls remaining at Wanderers, Johannesburg.

 

Due to lightning, the match was delayed but no overs were deducted in the encounter. The visitors batted first and posted a good total of 192 for 4. Smiriti Mandhana (32) and Shafali Verma posted 68 for the first wicket. Unfortunately, Jemimah Rodrigues did not trouble the scorers for the second wicket and Nonkululeko Mlaba took both wickets.

 

That wicket was followed by a 73 partnership between Harmanpreet Kaur and Verma. After scoring her fifteenth T20 half century, the 22 year old was dismissed by Nadine de Klerk for 64.

 

Richa Ghosh (18*) joined Kaur (66) for the fourth wicket and they posted 51 from 26 balls to push India to 195 for 4. Mlaba was the pick of the bowlers with returns of 2 for 31.

 

With a good score on the board, Indian bowlers hoped they could defend the target, but the Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt, and Sune Luus were locked in. The pair posted South Africa's second highest opening T20 partnership of 183 and it helped South Africa easily reach the Indian target with only 1 wicket down. Wolvaardt scored her career best of 115 from 53 balls in an innings that consisted of 5 sixes and 14 fours. The South African skipper eventually fell to Shreyanka Patil in the 16th over. Sune Luus finished the match unbeaten on 64 from 42 balls along with Tazmin Brits (2).

 

With the win, South Africa takes the series 3-0 with two matches to go.