Proteas can take positives from T20 Women’s World Cup campaign, but will rue final

Chloe Tryon of South Africa after taking a tumble on the pitch during the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 final against New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium on 20 October 2024. (Photo: Isuru Sameera Peiris / BackpagePix)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

21 Oct 2024

South Africa had their worst match of the tournament in the final while New Zealand played their best.

South Africa’s 32-run loss to New Zealand in the final of the T20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday marks two final defeats in the same tournament 20 months apart.

The standard of cricket on display throughout the tournament by the Proteas Women indicates the team have taken a massive step forward in the interim while their performance in the final is simultaneously a small step back.

proteas T20 Women’s World Cup mlaba South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr during the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 final against New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium on 20 October 2024. (Photo: Isuru Sameera Peiris / BackpagePix)

South Africa were outplayed in every department by the White Ferns in the final, who saved their best cricket for the last match while the Proteas had their worst showing in the most important clash of the showpiece.

“Cricket is a bit random sometimes,” Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt said after the match. “Sometimes you have your best game and we played our best game a couple of days too early,” she said, referring to their dominant eight-wicket win over Australia in the semifinal.

“We were beaten on the day today, they were the better side [in the final].

“A lot of girls are really, really disappointed, especially after the cricket we played in the semifinal. We thought we could do the same in the final, but we just didn’t show up on the day.”

The Proteas were magnificent throughout the tournament in the United Arab Emirates, opening their account with a comfortable 10-wicket win over semifinalists West Indies at the start of October.

They lost their next match against England by seven wickets, but there was no sense of panic as they hit back with an 80-run win over Scotland and then a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the final group game.

The Proteas Women then played one of the best matches in their history when they had a commanding, authoritative win over six-time champions Australia — one of the greatest modern sporting sides.

A major collapse

Both New Zealand and SA had strong starts to their batting innings, South Africa scoring 47 without loss and New Zealand 43 for the loss of one in the powerplay. It’s the 14 overs after that in both innings where the match was won and lost.

Where New Zealand were calm and measured, South Africa were frantic and jittery.

proteas T20 Women’s World Cup tryon Chloe Tryon of South Africa bowls during the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 final against New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium on 20 October 2024. (Photo: Isuru Sameera Peiris / BackpagePix)

The White Ferns didn’t hit a boundary for 48 deliveries from the sixth to the 14th over in their innings. They then hit six fours and a six off the final 36 balls.

South Africa scored only 12 runs in the three overs after the powerplay when they had the willow in hand. They then lost four wickets in the space of the next four overs trying to play catch-up.

There could be many reasons for the lack of composure. The occasion of the final, perhaps? Or maybe it’s the pressure of chasing a big target in a massive match.

It could also be the lack of time for the middle-order during the tournament — Nadine de Klerk, who came in at No 5 in the final, had thus far faced only one ball in the competition.

Or it could be all of the above.

“We still think chasing was the way to go,” Wolvaardt said of her decision to bowl first in the final. “It worked for us the whole tournament, we were pretty good when chasing.

“All the ground stats also say chase and it’s supposed to get better under lights. We still backed that decision, we just let them get too many with the bowling.

“We bowled 15 extras as well. If you take 15 off that score it immediately changes the whole equation.

“We were looking at 130-140 which would be a lot more feasible.”

In the end, the match fizzled with New Zealand all but winning their first title with a quarter of their overs still to be bowled.

It was a disappointing end to a promising campaign by South Africa, who will be aware that a display close to their best would have been good enough to secure the country’s first senior World Cup trophy.

Looking ahead

South Africa’s core squad at this year’s tournament is still young. Skipper Wolvaardt is only 25 while the oldest member of the squad is 34-year-old ace all-rounder Marizanne Kapp.

proteas T20 Women’s World Cup tryon Chloe Tryon of South Africa after taking a tumble on the pitch during the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 final against New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium on 20 October 2024. (Photo: Isuru Sameera Peiris / BackpagePix)

Kapp’s international bowling workload has been managed all year as she’s gone into several matches as a specialist batter.

The next T20 Women’s World Cup is in England in 2026. Whether the all-rounder decides to continue going until then remains to be seen.

South Africa have unearthed 23-year-old pace bowling all-rounder Annerie Dercksen over the past few months and she’s proven to have some needed x-factor.

Dercksen is still raw, especially in her bowling, but she possesses a powerful swing with the willow that few others in the women’s game can replicate.

There is also the question of the future of interim coach Dillon du Preez who in a few months of being in charge of the side has taken to a T20 World Cup final.

Du Preez has spent most of his time with the national team as a bowling coach, but has stepped up superbly. Time will tell whether he and Cricket South Africa decide to continue going.

The next big assignment for the Proteas Women is the 50-over World Cup next year in India. DM

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South Africa

A major collapse

Looking ahead