Proteas women’s coach Hilton Moreeng, speaking before the start of his side’s series against India, said they had learnt a great deal from their series walloping at the hands of the same opponents two years ago.

Through these words, he planted the seeds for a historic first series win on Indian soil for the Proteas women. They have now harvested the crops of said seeds as they took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the side’s five-match One Day International (ODI) series. 

Proteas women batter Mignon du Preez scored a half-century as South Africa recorded a historic series win in India. (Photo: Twitter / Cricket South Africa)

Moreeng’s team, without two crucial cogs in their machinery, regular captain Dane van Niekerk and for the series, all-rounder Chloe Tryon, secured an emphatic seven-wicket victory to seal the series win on Sunday. Two days before, they had taken a 2-1 lead as they closed out a six-run win on the Duckworth Lewis Method.

In that match, opening batter Liezel Lee scored an unbeaten 132 off 131 balls to steer her side home. During the fourth and series-clinching game, she once again proved pivotal with the bat, top-scoring with 69 from 75 balls faced before she was trapped leg-before-wicket by Harmanpreet Kaur.

By that time she’d set a solid foundation with opening partner Laura Wolvaardt, as South Africa chased the home side’s set target of 266.

When the duo departed, with SA moving steadily at 133 for two, it was left to Lara Goodall and the experienced Mignon du Preez to try to build on the foundation by the openers.

The pair put on a 103-run partnership for the third wicket, with player-of-the-match Du Preez contributing a quickfire 61 off 55 balls to leave the Proteas needing just 31 runs for victory in five overs when she eventually departed.

Marizanne Kapp’s cameo of 22 off 18 balls helped Goodall, who ended the game unbeaten on 59, complete the task at hand. And thus the Proteas claimed a morale-boosting and historic series win on Indian soil.

“On the series win in India, it’s really a special one. It’s something the girls have been longing for, for a very long time. To be away from home, away from family, and in these tough conditions, it’s a really special one. I know I’m going to treasure this for a very long time,” said Du Preez after the game.

“It’s a big confidence booster. We know India is such a strong side. And in their own conditions they are really dangerous. So, to pull off a series win is really special.”

The bowlers, the best on the day being Tumi Sekhukhune with two for 63, struggled to contain the Indians. Punam Raut managed an unbeaten 104, while Kaur scored a half-century. 

Goodall, speaking to the media after the match, said the bowlers had pulled the team out of tight spots on numerous occasions before, and that the batters had to show their mettle this time around.

She said they were calm and confident as they chased India’s target.

“We were always in control. We knew that if we didn’t lose wickets in clusters, which has been our problem in the past, we’d have a good chance of winning.

“It shows that when you have those massive partnerships, especially throughout the middle overs of the game, you win games more often.”

South Africa seamers Shabnim Ismail and Tumi Sekhukhune grabbed three wickets between them as the Proteas women secured a historic series win on Indian soil. (Photo: Twitter / Cricket South Africa)

There were also words of acknowledgement of the feat from Cricket South Africa Director of Cricket Graeme Smith.

“It [India] is one of the most difficult places in the world to tour and for our players to go there and beat the hosts in their own backyard, with a match to spare is a massive achievement, which cannot be understated,” said Smith.

“We have seen coach Hilton take his team to New Zealand last year and win a series. They followed that up by beating Pakistan at home in January and now they have gone to India and won a third ODI series in succession. It shows the immense growth of this team. They are really beginning to blossom at a time when the women’s game is also growing and we are extremely happy for them.”    

The Proteas will look to seal their history-making series victory with another win in the last ODI on Wednesday.

Following that, they will shift focus to the first of three T20 matches against the same opponent on Saturday, where they will be looking to continue riding the wave of success. DM