Proteas women look to find their balance as T20 World Cup looms

Marizanne Kapp of South Africa bowls during game three of the Women's T20 International series between Australia and South Africa at on 30 January, 2024 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo: Steve Bell/Getty Images)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

12 Jul 2024

Former skipper Suné Luus was left out of South Africa’s playing XI against India as the team attempted to puzzle together the best grouping of players.

South Africa’s new, aggressive style of batting has proven to have two varying outcomes, after the Proteas women suffered a crushing 10-wicket loss to India in the final T20I to tie up the series 1-1 on Tuesday.

India needed fewer than 11 overs to chase down the 84 runs the away side had set earlier.

In the two prior matches in the series, South Africa had set competitive totals of 189 for four and 177 for six. They won the first match by 12 runs while the second was rained out after the Proteas’ innings.

“Not the way we wanted to end the series,” skipper Laura Wolvaardt said after the final match.

Wickets fell throughout the innings with only opener Tazmin Brits and middle-order duo Anneke Bosch and Marizanne Kapp reaching double figures.

The skipper put the team’s batting down to not being able to adapt to conditions quickly enough in Chennai when perhaps a more conservative approach was needed.

“It’s a tough one, because we’ve been speaking about being a lot more positive as a batting unit and it came off in the first two games,” Wolvaardt said.

“It’s just about assessing when it’s not quite there early on.”

The tied series means the Proteas haven’t won a T20I series since before the T20 World Cup at the start of last year.

Finding balance

Proteas Women Tazmin Brits celebrates her century during an ODI match against Sri Lanka at Buffalo Park, East London, on 9 April 2024. (Photo: Richard Huggard / Gallo Images)

Proteas Women Proteas all-rounder Marizanne Kapp bowls during the Women's T20 International series between Australia and South Africa at on 30 January 2024 in Hobart, Australia. (Photo: Steve Bell / Getty Images)

This was, however, the team’s last series before the next edition of the tournament, which takes place in Bangladesh in October.

Wolvaardt reiterated, as she did before the series, that the way the team lined up against India is how they are likely to line up in Bangladesh.

“We have a whole selection back at home, and we’ll have to see what they think; it’s not just myself,” she said.

“With it being our last games before the World Cup, we’d like to think that that was as close to what we’d have in the squad.

“Overall I’m still very happy with the series; we’ll take a lot of learnings from it.

“I’m very happy with how we batted in the first two games. The positive intent was there and we’ve made a lot of big strides with our batting.

“I don’t want this one little game to set us back with that.”

There was however, a glaring omission across the three matches. Wolvaardt’s predecessor as national captain, Suné Luus, wasn’t part of the best XI.

The 28-year-old has struggled with form with the willow since guiding the side to the T20 World Cup final at home last year.

Luus has scored a mere 75 runs over her last eight T20I innings at an average of just 10.71.

When asked about the former captain’s position in the team, Wolvaardt explained that the final say does not lie with her, but added that Luus’s experience – having the most-ever T20I caps for the country – is invaluable.

“That’s more a question for the selectors and head coach,” Wolvaardt said.

“She’s such a veteran of the game in South African cricket. She’s played more than 100 games.

“The experience and knowledge that she has with the bat is invaluable. She’s been to Bangladesh a few times as well.”

South Africa instead opted for a trio of pace all-rounders in the form of Nadine de Klerk, Eliz-Mari Marx and Annerie Dercksen.

“We tried it now with having a few all-rounders in the middle order,” Wolvaardt said.

“That will be the one decision, whether we play the extra bat or the extra all-rounder or perhaps the extra spinner in Bangladesh to see the exact makeup.

“The majority of the squad should remain the same, [but] that’s probably the one question we’ll have to see in terms of conditions and the team we’re playing against.”

Bowling load

South Africa only had Marizanne Kapp the batter for the multi-format series in India as the 34-year-old all-rounder’s load was managed for the tour.

Kapp bowled for the first time and only time in the final T20I, bowling two overs and conceding only three runs — a small reminder of her quality.

“It was awesome to have her back. She went for 1.5 or some ridiculous economy,” Wolvaardt said.

“That’s just the class player that she is. Not bowling for six weeks to come back in the Powerplay, with the new ball and be that economical is absolutely crazy.

“She’s one of the best in the world, probably the best in the world. [We’re] very lucky to have her on our side. We’ll take those overs if we can get them.”

With Kapp bowling again, the trio of pace bowling all rounders might be seen as surplus to requirements, and Luus could find her way back into the middle order once again. DM

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Finding balance

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