South Africa faced Scotland in the eleventh match of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup, with both teams needing a win to enhance their chances of qualification. South Africa’s decision to bat on winning the toss proved fruitful as Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, their openers, gave their team a flying start, scoring 40 and 43 runs. Marizanne Kapp’s blazing 24-ball 43 helped propel South Africa to a total of 166, and their bowlers collectively restricted Scotland to just 86 to seal an emphatic victory.
Wolvaardt and Brits punished the Scottish bowlers, smashing them to all corners in the first few overs. While the openers played well, the Scottish bowlers struggled with erratic lines and lengths, leaking avoidable runs. Scotland’s fielding woes compounded the issue, relieving even more pressure. Wolvaardt, looking particularly dangerous, eventually fell to a wide delivery from Katherine Fraser, mistiming her shot. However, the damage was already done, with South Africa reaching 60 by the end of the powerplay.
Brits kept the momentum going by running hard between the wickets and capitalising on poor deliveries with boundaries. Scotland seemed eager for a comeback when they claimed the wicket of Anneke Bosch, who mistimed a shot trying to clear the rope. A bold move by the Scottish skipper to bring on Darcey Carter paid off, leaving South Africa at 89/2 in the 11th over. However, Kapp’s arrival at the crease made things worse for Scotland. She used her experience to rebuild alongside Brits, putting South Africa firmly in control. Brits eventually fell to Olivia Bell while trying to accelerate further, leaving South Africa at 119/3 with five overs to go.
In the following overs, Kapp dominated the Scottish bowlers, relentlessly punishing their deliveries.Though South Africa would have preferred her to stay until the end, SuneLuus stepped up, ensuring they surpassed the 160 mark. South Africa posted a formidable total of 166/5, the highest of the tournament so far.
Scotland’s chase unraveled quickly, with openers Saskia Horley and Sarah Bryce falling in quick succession, leaving them in trouble at 16/2. Chloe Tryon and AyabongaKhaka bowled brilliantly, applying early pressure and taking the crucial initial wickets. The Scottish batting lineup crumbled further under this pressure, losing three more wickets. Tryon struck to remove Kathryn Bryce, while Nonkululeko Mlaba dismissed Ailsa Lister. Nadine de Klerk joined in, dismissing PriyanazChatterji, leaving Scotland reeling at 39/5 and facing an uphill battle.
AScotland comeback seemed unlikely, and their disappointing performance continued as the rest of the batting quickly collapsed.Fraser top-scored for Scotland with just 14.
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