By Lloyd Burnard.
South Africa claimed a thrilling two-wicket win over New Zealand in Thursday’s Women’s World Cup match in Hamilton.
Marizanne Kapp was the hero for the Proteas again on Thursday, hitting 36* (35) in Hamilton to see her side home in yet another final over thriller against New Zealand.
There was pressure and panic in another run chase drenched in drama as the Proteas lost their composure along the way.
Kapp, however, was the perfect balance between calm and intent, and she got the job done in what is an early contender for match of the tournament.
It is South Africa’s fourth win in a row, and they remain the only undefeated side in the competition alongside Australia.
Heading into the final over, South Africa needed six to win with two wickets in hand as Kapp smashed the ball to the fence and put the game to bed. In the end, they got home with three balls to spare.
Chasing 229 for victory, the Proteas looked to be cruising with Laura Wolvaardt (67 off 94) and captain Sune Luus (51 off 73) combining for an 88-run stand that looked to be enough.
A middle-order wobble – all too familiar to South African fans at World Cups – then made for a finish that was far closer than it needed to be.
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first, and their 228 all out in 47.5 overs left the Proteas with another testing run chase after their final over thriller against England that saw them chase down 236 on Monday.
Hosts New Zealand, like England, are fighting for their place in the tournament semi-finals and it meant they were desperate throughout this clash.
A superb 93 (101) from skipper Sophie Devine was the standout performance, setting the tone and giving New Zealand a real chance.
For South Africa, it was the seam trio of Shabnim Ismail (3/27 in 9), Marizanne Kapp (2/44 in 10) and Ayabonga Khaka (3/31 in 8.5) who again shone brightest.
A shoulder injury to the fourth seamer in the line-up, Masabata Klaas (0/19 in 2) meant that skipper Luus had to bowl herself for eight overs (1/48), while part-time spinner Chloe Tryon bowled a full spell for 0/58 (10).
New Zealand at one stage were 168/3 in the 36th over and would have been eyeing a big score, but a collapse at the back-end of the innings brought South Africa right back into it.
Considering the injury to Klaas, and what scores the Proteas have posted in the competition so far, Luus would have been satisfied with the effort in the field and confident that the Proteas could chase down the runs.
Lizelle Lee, who has not fired yet, started off the chase with Wolvaardt and looked to be in good touch before a puzzling run-out cost her.
Wolvaardt had executed a trademark drive through the covers that was hauled in before the boundary rope, and she turned for the third. Lee, meanwhile, was in two minds and stopped and started before committing, but her dive left her agonisingly short and she was out for 17 (23).
That brought Tazmin Brits, under pressure to play an innings of substance, to the wicket and while she did display some signs of why she has been backed in all four fixtures so far, it was unfortunately another failure.
Brits was out stumped to leg-spinner Amelia Kerr (3/50 in 10), departing for 18 (38) as Luus joined Wolvaardt and the run chase began to look awfully similar to that against England.
Together, Wolvaardt and Luus were superb, rotating the strike and dispatching the bad balls. During their 88-run stand for the third wicket, the New Zealand heads started dropping and at 161/2, the Proteas were cruising.
Cricket, though, is often not that simple and the 21-year-old Kerr was about to change the game.
She had Wolvaardt (67 off 94) trapped lbw and then removed former captain Mignon du Preez (1 off 5), and all of a sudden New Zealand had catapulted themselves back into contention.
When Luus (51 off 73) was caught behind off Hannah Rowe (1/32 in 10), the Proteas had slipped to 170/5, losing three wickets for just nine runs.
That left Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon together in the cauldron, and heading into the last five overs the Proteas needed 31 off 30.
Tryon (14 off 17) then had a rush of blood to the head, hitting off-spinner Frances Mackay down deep midwicket’s throat, and when she departed New Zealand emerged as favourites.
Kapp was South Africa’s key, and with Trish Chetty the equation was 18 runs off 18 balls for South Africa to keep their undefeated streak intact.
Chetty then hit one straight into the Hamilton night sky off Mackay, who took a tidy catch off her own bowling, and Ismail walked out to the middle with it all to do.
She didn’t last long, and was clean bowled for 4 (5) by Devine with South African needing 12 off 10 as Khaka entered the fray.
Kapp was South Africa’s hero, smashing the first ball of the last over for a boundary, leaving the Proteas needing two from five.
New Zealand XI: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine (c), Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Frances Mackay, Katey Martin, Brooke Halliday, Lea Tahuhu, Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe
South Africa XI: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus (c), Mignon du Preez, Chloe Tryon, Trisha Chetty, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas.