In Visakhapatnam, Nadine de Klerk showcased her composure under pressure, guiding South Africa to a three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in an exciting Women’s World Cup match on Monday. Chasing a target of 233, key all-rounders Marizanne Kapp (56 off 71 balls) and Chloe Tryon (62 off 69 balls) delivered crucial fifties, helping South Africa recover from a precarious position of 78 for five in the 23rd over, thanks to an 85-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Ultimately, South Africa achieved their target with three balls remaining.
After Kapp and Tryon’s dismissals, de Klerk, who had been dropped by Shorna Akter at long-off in the penultimate over, finished the match with a four and a six, remaining not out at 37 off 29 balls. De Klerk had also played a pivotal role in a previous match against India. The dew factor hindered the Bangladesh spinners, who saw the innings accelerate after Shorna’s impressive 35-ball 51 not out lifted Bangladesh to 232 for six following a slow start. Prior to Shorna’s aggressive innings, Sharmin Akhter (50 off 77 balls) and captain Nigar Sultana (32 off 42) contributed 77 runs for the third wicket to stabilize the Bangladesh innings.
Brief scores: Bangladesh: 232 for 6 in 50 overs (Shorna Akter 51 not out, Sharmin Akter 50; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2/42) lost to South Africa: 235 for 7 in 49.3 overs (Chloe Tryon 62, Marizanne Kapp 56, Nadine de Klerk 37 not out; Nahida Akter 2/44) by three wickets.
