Proteas Women outmatched by England's spin bowling and solid batting in UAE, falling by seven wickets

Nonkululeko Mlaba of South Africa bowls during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup match between South Africa and West Indies at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 04, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Isuru Sameera/Gallo Images)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

7 Oct 2024

England Women 125 for 3 (Sciver-Brunt 48*, Wyatt-Hodge 43, Kapp 1-17) beat South Africa Women 124 for 6 (Wolvaardt 42, Ecclestone 2-15) by seven wickets.

England beat the Proteas by seven wickets and four balls remaining in both sides’ second match at the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The victory was set up by tidy bowling by England’s quartet of spin bowlers with no 1 ranked Sophie Ecclestone the stand-out, collecting two wickets for 15 runs in her four overs with her left-arm orthodox.

They restricted South Africa to 124 for six in their 20 overs. Danni Wyatt-Hodge (43 off 43) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (not out 48 off 36) stood tall on the tricky wicket to see the formidable England side home.

It needed a near miracle for South Africa to pull off the victory after setting a below-par total and the bowlers nearly produced it, but all of the half-chances were spurred in the field which allowed the English to get over the line.

“[We’re] very disappointed,” skipper Laura Wolvaardt said after the match. “10-20 more runs with the bat could have been interesting.

“We didn’t take our chances in the field either. The bowlers bowled quite well, but we’ll have to tighten up on those other two [areas].”

Marizanne Kapp of South Africa during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup match between South Africa and England at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 7 October 2024 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo: Pankaj Nangia / Gallo Images)

Defensive effort

Despite setting a disappointing total, South Africa’s defence of the score started off excellently.

While England found profit with their spin bowlers, South Africa, by contrast, immediately threatened with their swing bowlers.

England’s innings got under way with seven dot balls, including a maiden in the first over by Marizanne Kapp.

They restricted the opposition to 28 runs for the loss of one wicket at the end of the powerplay, which included a 12 run over of Chloe Tryon. Kapp, meanwhile, bowled two maiden overs with her beautiful away swingers.

“I don’t think you can ask for much more with the new ball,” Wolvaardt said about the efforts of Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka upfront.

“The spinners, the control in the middle could have been better, but it’s so tough to bowl to these batters who have all the shots.

“It feels like all of them have all the shots so it’s difficult to set fields.”

Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup match between South Africa and England at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 7 October 2024 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo: Pankaj Nangia / Gallo Images)

Opening batter Maia Bouchier (eight off 20) took only two runs off the first 14 balls she faced. Kapp eventually trapped her LBW and put the opener out of her struggles.

It could have been two in the powerplay, but Bosch dropped Alice Capsey (19 off 16) at point before Wolvaardt dropped Wyatt-Hodge a few balls later with a tough chance at mid-off floating through her grasping finger tips.

Conversely to South Africa’s stuttering second-wicket partnership, Capsey and Wyatt-Hodge easily rotated strike and put the bad balls – which South Africa’s spinners offered up relatively frequently – away.

It needed a piece of brilliance to break up the fledgling partnership and medium pacer Nadine de Klerk provided it. Capsey didn’t pick a clever slow leg-break, which she could only bunt straight back into the grateful hands of De Klerk.

England were still sitting somewhat comfortably on 55 for two at the halfway stage.

Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt-Hodge batted through the middle-overs brilliantly however, putting on 64 runs off 55 deliveries for the third wicket.

In that time, South Africa created several chances but they either fell between players or the chance was spurred by South Africa’s fielders.

Half-chances were dropped by skipper Wolvaardt twice as well as a forward-diving Brits.

South Africa did well to take the match to the final over as the economical Nonkululeko Mlaba dismissed Wyatt-Hodge via a stumping but Sciver-Brunt was good enough to win the match in the final over with a four over cover.

Nonkululeko Mlaba of South Africa bowls during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup match between South Africa and West Indies at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 4 October 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo: Isuru Sameera / Gallo Images)

Dot balls

Where England thrived in the middle-overs, South Africa crumbled.

England’s spin bowlers had the Proteas in a twist, having bowled 16 overs of spin which went for only 90 runs and picked up five wickets.

Ecclestone and leg-spinner Sarah Glenn were the pick of the quartet, conceding 15 and 18 runs, respectively.

Off-spinner Charlie Dean and left-arm orthodox Linsey Smith picked up one vital wicket apiece too.

Tazmin Brits (13 off 19) and Anneke Bosch (18 off 26), in particular, struggled to come to grips with the spin, failing to rotate the strike. Boundaries were also almost out of the question as they battled to get the ball off the square.

Between overs six and 13, South Africa only managed 30 runs off 36 deliveries, as the spinners dried up the runs. That was pivotal.

Brits eventually hit herself out in search of a boundary. Bosch eventually struck her only boundary by being invented with a reverse sweep off Glenn. She tried to scoop the next ball and was clean-bowled.

Batting with both of them was skipper Wolvaardt (42 off 39), who was strangled for strike for the most part.

Kapp (26 off 17) and Annerie Dercksen (not out 20 off 11) added some late impetus to the innings, but it was too late to get the side to a par score.

“We had that period after the powerplay where we lost our way a little bit and then had some big hitters come in at the end, but we could have started that a bit earlier,” said Wolvaardt.

Despite the loss, South Africa still have a good chance of progressing to the semifinals of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Victories over Scotland and Bangladesh in their final two group stage matches should be enough to see the Proteas Women through. DM

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Defensive effort

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