South Africa won an important fixture against India by 3 wickets to elevate them into that important semi-final spot.
South Africa bowled first, and they only got their first wicket in the 11th over, thanks to Nonkululeko Mlaba dismissing the dangerous Smriti Mandhana, with India at 55 for 1. Following Mandhana’s wicket, the Proteas got 5 wickets in the next 10.2 overs at a cost of 47 runs to move the momentum into the Proteas’ favor.
Amanjot Kaur and Richa Ghosh combined for a 51-run seventh-wicket partnership, which started India’s recovery. The damaging partnership for South Africa was the eighth-wicket partnership between Ghosh and Sneh Rana of 88 from 53 balls. Ghosh showed South Africa her might by scoring 94 from 77 balls, and Rana had a good showing with a 24-ball 33. India was bowled out for 251 runs with just one ball remaining. Chloe Tryon was South Africa’s best bowler with figures of 3 for 32 in her 10 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba, Marizanne Kapp, and Nadine de Klerk took 2 wickets each, and Tumi Sekhukhune, who replaced Masabata Klaas, got a solitary wicket.
South Africa started the chase on the wrong foot with the early wickets of inform Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus, leaving the Proteas at 18 for 2. Kapp joined Laura Wolvaardt for a brief third-wicket partnership of 39, but South Africa was in further trouble at 57 for 3, and Anneke Bosch made matters worse as she joined Kapp back at the dressing room 3 balls later, thanks to a caught and bowled by Deepti Sharma.
Sinalo Jafta tried to get the scoring going, but she was dismissed LBW for 14 from 20 balls. Then came Chloe Tryon, who started South Africa’s fightback with Wolvaardt, with a 61-run partnership, and the captain was finally dismissed for a well-played 70. Tryon and de Klerk for the seventh wicket made 69, and in came Ayabonga Khaka with South Africa needing 41 runs from 24 balls. De Klerk played a career-defining innings by scoring 39 runs from 15 balls in her match-winning partnership with Khaka of 41.
South Africa won the match by 3 wickets with 7 balls remaining. The Proteas’ next opponent is Bangladesh, and they will lock horns on Monday, 13 October 2025.
