South Africa managed to win the ODI series against West Indies 2-1 after losing the first match.
The opening match was affected by rain, and the second innings were reduced to 34 overs. The Proteas batted first in that game and seemed to play within themselves, showing little freedom. Tazmin Brits did manage to score a fifty, and Nadine de Klerk finished the innings strongly with a 38-ball 42.
In reply, the Proteas struggled to contain the West Indies’ opening pair, Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph. By the time Hayley was dismissed with the score on 88 for 1, the damage had already been done. Stafanie Taylor was able to shepherd the chase, guiding the West Indies to a win.
In the second match, South Africa lost the toss for the second time, and West Indies chose to field first. Wolvaardt and Brits struggled to get going early on. The catalyst for South Africa’s innings came from an unlikely source — Nondumiso Shangase. She scored her maiden half-century, becoming the first Black African woman to score a 50 for South Africa. This historic moment was filled with attacking intent from Shangase, which seemed to inspire Sune Luus to play with more aggression too. Shangase made 55 off 48 balls, while Luus added a commanding 76 off 65. Their contributions, along with runs from Kapp (32), Chloe Tryon (28), and Annerie Dercksen (38), helped South Africa post a total of 309 for 9.
This match marked Kapp’s 150th ODI appearance, and she celebrated it by taking the wicket of the big-hitting Qiana Joseph. Nadine de Klerk, Ayanda Hlubi, Shangase, and Tryon also got among the wickets. But the standout performer with the ball was Nonkululeko Mlaba, who claimed her best career figures of 4 for 33 to help South Africa seal a 40-run win and level the series.
The third ODI was effectively a final, and Wolvaardt lost the toss for the third consecutive time. The match was delayed by rain, which continued to interrupt the first innings. That was all the motivation Brits and Wolvaardt needed to start aggressively. The pair shared a 184-run opening stand, with Brits scoring her fourth ODI century. The Lions batter was eventually dismissed for 101, while captain Wolvaardt scored an impressive 75 off 76 balls. Marizanne Kapp added an unbeaten 34 to help the Proteas post 278 for 6 in 45.5 overs before rain ended the innings early.
West Indies’ 38-year-old veteran leg-spinner Afy Fletcher was once again the main threat to the Proteas. She picked up three wickets in the match, taking her series tally to eight.
With DLS coming into play, the target was revised to 288 in 38 overs. But instead of the West Indies getting off to a strong start, it was the Proteas bowlers who struck early. Masabata Klaas, playing her first match of the series, delivered a standout performance, finishing with figures of 4 for 25. Mlaba and Dercksen picked up two wickets each, while Kapp claimed one. The Proteas bowled out the West Indies for just 121 to seal a 166-run victory and clinch the series.
The tour now moves on to T20 cricket, with the first match set for Friday, 20 June. The first ball will be bowled at 8 PM CAT.
Pic cred: CWI
