A heroic century from Proteas women captain Laura Wolvaardt was not enough to save her team, as they fell to a 52-run defeat against India in the final of the 50-over World Cup at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
Wolvaardt cracked 11 fours and a six in a sublime 101 off 98 balls, her second straight century after her player of the match 169 in their semifinal win over England, but she unfortunately didn’t receive enough support from the rest of the batting order.
Youngster Annerie Dercksen, 35 off 37 balls (1x4; 2x6) was the next best batter, showing how little support Wolvaardt received from the rest of the order, in particular the senior players who came up short.
For India it was star all-round performances from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma that secured them a famous win in front of their home fans.
Verma top scored for her team with 87 off 78 balls (7x4; 2x6) at the top of the order, while Sharma struck a run-a-ball 58 (3x4; 1x6) down the back end to get them to a solid 298/7 batting first.
Sharma then spun a web in the chase, picking up a brilliant 5/39 in 9.3 overs, while Verma, who is only a part time bowler, claimed 2/36 in seven, with the Proteas eventually all out for 246.
“I think I couldn’t be prouder of this team for the campaign we have had. We played some brilliant cricket throughout, but we were outplayed today. I think India played fantastically well,” said Wolvaardt during the presentation.
“Unfortunate for us to be on the losing side but I am sure we will definitely grow from this as a group.
“We did so well to put a few bad games (in the pool stage) behind us. We were either really good or really bad, but thankfully there was a lot more really good (moments) throughout this tournament.
“With so many different players stepping up it was an amazing tournament for a lot of different players and I am just proud of the resilience shown to get all the way to the final.”
The Proteas chase got off to a steady start with a 51-run stand in under 10 overs between Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits (23).
But with things looking good Brits then ran herself out, trying to sneak a quick single off Renuka Thakur, and was soon followed back by the woefully out of form Anneke Bosch for a sixth ball duck, trapped LBW by Shree Charani, as they slipped to 62/2 in the 12th over.
Sune Luus (25) was next in and along with Wolvaardt they settled things down with a 52-run third wicket stand, to get their side past the 100-run mark.
But again, just as the Proteas were seemingly getting back on top, India struck, this time through inspired captaincy, as Harmanpreet Kaur brought part timer Verma on to bowl, and she repaid that faith in style.
First Luus popped an easy catch straight back to the bowler, and in her next over she got the prized wicket of Marizanne Kapp (4), feathering an edge to keeper Richa Ghosh as they Proteas stumbled to 123/4.
Wolvaardt desperately needed a partner, but unfortunately couldn’t find it in Sinalo Jafta (16), as she struggled immensely before she hit Sharma straight to Radha Yadav at short midwicket, leaving them in trouble on 148/5.
Dercksen then arrived at the crease, and with Wolvaardt they reignited the Proteas hopes with a 61-run sixth wicket partnership, taking them past the 200-run mark.
But Sharma stepped up when her team needed it the most, getting the breakthrough by bowling Dercksen in the 40th over, and then in the 42nd had Wolvaardt caught at deep midwicket by Amanjot Kaur, and pinned Chloe Tryon (9) LBW, which effectively ended their challenge with them 221/8.
Nadine de Klerk (18), who had been the Proteas star finisher in the tournament had too much to do with the tail and was eventually last out, caught by Harmanpreet off Sharma to end proceedings.
At the start of play the Proteas won the toss and chose to bowl, and battled back well as they were set a tricky target of 299, despite India getting off to a great start.
A target between 320 and 350 definitely seemed to be on the cards after a strong start from the hosts, but good bowling at the death, which saw the last 10 overs go for just 69 runs, meant they chased a much more manageable target.
Proteas pace bowler Ayabonga Khaka was the pick of the lot, claiming 3/58 in her nine overs, while spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba backed her up with 1/47 in 10.
The Indian innings got off to a great start as Smriti Mandhana (45) and Verma shared in a 104-run opening stand in under 18 overs to get them up and running.
They targeted the opening bowling pair of Kapp and Khaka, going at over seven runs an over at the start, which saw the 50 come up after just 6.3 overs, but some tight bowling from first change bowlers Mlaba and De Klerk slowed the hosts down nicely.
An action packed 18th over, the first from Tryon, then saw the India cross the 100-run mark with a boundary, before Mandhana feathered an edge to keeper Jafta to be first to fall, and Verma then brought up her half century with a single.
The Proteas should have had a second wicket soon after in the 21st over, when Verma, on 56, skied Luus to Bosch at midwicket, only for her to drop a relatively simple chance.
That allowed Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues (24), to combine for a 62-run second wicket stand, to keep their side ticking along nicely.
Khaka, who struggled in her first spell going for 29 off three overs, then returned for her second and came back superbly, as she first got the big breakthrough in the 28th over, having Verma caught by Luus at mid off with the score 166/2.
She struck again in the 30th, as Rodrigues was brilliantly caught by captain Laura Wolvaardt at extra cover, taking a superb low take just off the surface as India slipped to 171/3.
The brought Sharma in to join her captain Harmanpreet (20), and they added 52 to the total, taking their side past 200, before Harmanpreet was bowled by a straight delivery from Mlaba, leaving them on 223/4 in the 39th over.
Amanjot (12) didn’t last long, before popping a return catch to De Klerk at the start of the 44th, which made it 245/5, bringing big hitting Ghosh, 34 off 24 (3x4; 2x6), to the crease.
Ghosh proceeded to dominate a 47-run partnership with Sharma, who reached her half century along the way, but fell in the penultimate over, caught by Dercksen at deep backward square leg off Khaka, while Sharma was run out off the last ball of the innings.
INDIA WOMEN: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh
SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
