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England women's team recorded their second consecutive win at the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup after getting past South Africa with a handful of deliveries to spare at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday, October 7. Led by Heather Knight, they now go atop the Group B table with four points to their name.
South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and elected to bat first. Top order batters Tazmin Brits and Anneke Bosch struggled to cope against England's four-pronged spin attack. Wolvaardt tried to take the innings deep but perished after scoring 42 runs off 39 deliveries.
The score was bolstered by a set of cameos by Marizanne Kapp and Annerie Dercksen. The Proteas women looked destined for a total over 130, but England pulled things back to restrict the opposition to 124/6.
In reply, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka put on a masterclass with the new ball, as both opening batters - Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge hung onto their wickets. Bouchier especially endured several play-and-misses against Kapp's outswingers, but broke the shackles by stepping down and going over the infield.
However, her charge did not last long as Kapp dismissed her in the fifth over. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who played a well-compiled innings in the previous contest, stuck to the template and held one end. Alice Capsey played a decent cameo before Nat Sciver-Brunt took charge. The all-rounder played a precious knock of 48 runs off 36 deliveries in tricky conditions and brought the required run rate down.
The win with four balls to spare improves England's net run-rate marginally. They now have four points in two matches with NRR of +0.653. On the other hand, South Africa slide down to the third spot in the group with a net run-rate of +0.245. They are level on points with the West Indies, but the Women in Maroon boast a superior NRR after their recent dominant win over Scotland.
"10-20 runs with the bat could have been interesting" - South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt on South Africa's narrow loss to England
South Africa had recorded wins over England across the last two editions of the Women's T20 World Cup, including a famous triumph during in the 2023 semi-final. While they were able to put out a competitive display, they could not get over the line this time around.
"Obviously very disappointed. 10-20 runs with the bat could have been interesting, didn't take our chances When we started batting, we were talking about 140. We lost our way after the powerplay. You can't ask much more from the new ball bowlers, a bit more control from the spinner would have been good. Must-win games for us, tough in these conditions," Wolvaardt said during the post-match presentation.
England will next face Scotland in Sharjah on Sunday, October 13, while South Africa are scheduled to take on the same opposition on Wednesday, October 9.
