Proteas Women Suffer Massive Batting Scare Before Edging Bangladesh In T20 World Cup Thriller

The Proteas Women kept their Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final hopes alive, but not without a scare, edging Bangladesh by four wickets in an unconvincing victory at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt’s struggles with the bat continued as she was dismissed for a first-ball duck. Marufa Akter produced a superb delivery that jagged back sharply and slipped between bat and pad to give Bangladesh the perfect start.

South Africa regained control when Annerie Dercksen joined Tazmin Brits at the crease. The pair steadied the innings with a composed 52-run partnership, scoring at exactly a run a ball to put the Proteas back on course.

With the chase seemingly under control and South Africa cruising towards victory, Brits attempted to heave a wide delivery from Nahida Akter over the leg side. Instead, she toe-ended the ball into the safe hands of Marufa Akter at long-on, handing Bangladesh a crucial breakthrough.

Dane van Niekerk was promoted up the order and immediately looked in fine touch, opening her account with a deft paddle behind the wicket that suggested Bangladesh were in for a long afternoon. However, she was dismissed soon after for just four, undone while attempting a reverse sweep off Sanjida Akter Meghla.

When Dercksen fell for a well-made 45 from 45 balls after Bangladesh successfully reviewed for a caught-behind decision, South Africa still appeared to be firmly in control. However, the quick dismissals of Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk breathed new life into a contest many had thought was all but over.

With South Africa needing five runs from the final over—far closer than they would have wanted—it was left to Chloe Tryon to once again strike the winning runs, just as she had against India, sealing a valuable and hard-fought victory.

Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat but made a disastrous start, losing both Juairiya Ferdous and Taj Nehar inside the opening four overs to slump to 14/2. Ferdous suffered the same fate as Wolvaardt, bowled by Kapp with the very first ball of the innings.

In the middle order, Sobhana Mostary and Sharmin Akhter shared Bangladesh’s highest partnership of the match, adding 56 runs, albeit at less than a run a ball, highlighting both their difficult start and the challenging batting conditions.

Bangladesh struggled to accelerate for much of the innings, but captain Nigar Sultana’s unbeaten 32 from just 20 balls, scored at a strike rate of 160, helped her side collect 36 runs from the final three overs and post a competitive total.

Although the Proteas will be disappointed by how close they allowed the contest to become after appearing to be in complete control, they will take comfort from securing a crucial victory as they await confirmation of their semi-final fate.

Bangladesh – 117/5 (20 overs)

Sobhana Mostary 42 (48), Nigar Sultana 32* (20), Sharmin Akhter 22 (29)

Nonkululeko Mlaba 2/22 (4), Marizanne Kapp 1/9 (4), Shabnim Ismail 1/15 (4)

South Africa – 118/6 (19.2 overs)

Annerie Dercksen 45 (45), Tazmin Brits 20 (24)

Nahida Akter 2/24 (4), Ritu Moni 1/24 (4), Marufa Akter 1/23 (3.2)