Nadine de Klerk slams Proteas to victory in thriller against Bangladesh

For a second consecutive match, a Nadine de Klerk six clinched victory for South Africa in thrilling fashion as the Proteas sealed a three-wicket win over Bangladesh at the Women’s Cricket World Cup in India. They chased down Bangladesh’s 232 for six with three balls to spare.

It was far from the comfortable victory many may have expected, with a dropped catch in the penultimate over aiding South Africa’s cause as the team moved up to third on the table.

Shorna Akter put down the simplest of chances at long-off with South Africa still needing nine runs off the final eight deliveries.

It would have seen the back of De Klerk – her unbeaten 37 off 29 deliveries being the difference between the two sides – with only South Africa’s tail left to scramble for the final few runs.

Instead, a boundary over the offside and a six over deep midwicket two balls later off De Klerk’s blade saw South Africa register their third victory in the tournament.

Rollercoaster chase

South Africa’s chase kicked off disastrously with opener Tazmin Brits (nought off one) knocking the ball straight back to spinner Nahida Akter in the second over of the match.

Anneke Bosch (28 off 35) and captain Laura Wolvaardt (31 off 56) restarted the innings with a 50-run partnership. But three wickets in the space of 20 balls with only six runs added changed the momentum of the match.

A mix-up saw Wolvaardt run out, before Bosch and Annerie Dercksen (two off 11) lost their wickets shortly after in a chaotic period between the 15th and 19th over that saw South Africa move from 58 for one to 64 for four.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sinalo Jafta’s (four off 13) struggles with the willow continued as Marizanne Kapp (58 off 71) stood resolute at the other end.

Kapp found a capable partner in player of the match Chloe Tryon (62 off 69). The pair took minimal risks against Bangladesh’s dangerous quartet of spin bowlers, knocking them around for ones and twos.

“Myself and Marizanne just spoke about taking it as deep as we could and just tick it over,” Tryon explained about the thinking during their 85-run partnership. “We knew we had time on our hands and Nadine in the back end… We went low risk and still chipped away at the runs.”

When Kapp was dismissed in the 41st over, South Africa still needed 69 runs off the final nine overs with only four wickets in hand. It looked comfortable until a misguided single saw the big-hitting Tryon run out.

But De Klerk, in the batting form of her life, saw South Africa home despite the required scoring rate creeping up to eight an over.

Two halves

The Bangladeshi innings was a story of two halves. The first was slow and steady, while the second was explosive.

At the 35th over, the subcontinent side was on 114 for two. In the final 15 overs of the innings, they more than doubled their score, adding 118 runs to finish on 232 for six.

Their innings was set up by openers Fargana Hoque (30 off 76) and Rubya Haider (25 off 52), who both failed to score at a strike rate above 50, but provided the platform.

Both were dismissed by left-arm spin. Hoque by the brilliantly accurate Nonkulukeko Mlaba, trapped LBW and Haider, mistiming a Tryon delivery, caught by De Klerk at mid-on.

Sharmin Akhter (50 off 77) and captain Sultana Joty (32 off 42) increased the run rate slightly in the middle overs, but it was 18-year-old sensation Shorna Akter (51 off 35) who provided the fireworks.

She smacked three big sixes (all flying further than 70 metres) and hit three more fours in her thrilling cameo.

It took Bangladesh to a competitive score of 232, which they thought might have been enough with the entourage of outstanding spin bowlers in their arsenal. But as against India, De Klerk had other ideas. DM

South Africa’s next Cricket World Cup match is against Sri Lanka on Friday.