South Africa’s De Klerk Stuns India in Women’s World Cup Thriller
VISAKHAPATNAM: Nadine de Klerk produced a masterclass at the lower level with an unbeaten 84 to lead South Africa to a three-wicket win over India in a Women’s World Cup thriller on Thursday.
Number eight De Klerk tore into the opposition attack in his 54-ball attack as South Africa reached 252-7 with seven balls to spare as India chased 251 in Visakhapatnam.
De Klerk’s batting combined brute power with excellent wrist action as he hit eight fours and five sixes, including the winning strike over the fence.
“I am lost for words,” said De Klerk, who took both wickets with his medium-paced bowling.
“We did a lot of good things in the last few days, but finishing the game gives us a lot of confidence. I love being under pressure and I love World Cups; we had to be at our best to beat India at home.”
South Africa fell to 81-5 in the chase but captain Laura Wolvaardt’s patient 70 kept them afloat until De Klerk joined Chloe Tryon and increased the momentum.
Tryon’s spirited 49 and De Klerk’s fearless strokeplay swung the contest decisively in South Africa’s favour.
The duo added 69 for the seventh wicket before Tryon fell, but by then the run rate was in check for De Klerk to finish in style.
Earlier, India’s top order once again faltered against the left-arm spin and were reduced to 102-6 thanks to the strikes of Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tryon.
India’s batsmen have scored only 257 from 348 balls against left-arm spinners in this tournament; They lost 12 wickets at an average of 21.41; this is the most points scored by any team.
India’s number eight Richa Ghosh turned the tables by scoring 94 on the counter-attack as the rest struggled.
Ghosh countered the South African spinners with lively footwork and smart placement and brought the crowd to life with his clean batting.
Along with Sneh Rana (33 off 24 balls), he added 88 for the eighth wicket.
His innings was not just about runs but also character; Another example of India’s ability to fight against tough situations.
In their previous two wins, they had recovered from 124-6 to 269-8 against Sri Lanka and 159-5 to 247 against Pakistan.
“It was a tough match, both teams played really well,” said India captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
“We collapsed while batting but still got to 250. We took early wickets but De Klerk batted really well.”
He added: “It’s a long tournament. It was a tough match but a lot was learned. We have to keep ourselves in a positive frame.”
South Africa celebrated its first win on Indian soil in the World Cup; This result keeps their semi-final hopes alive.
