The Proteas women are gearing up for a tricky encounter against Pakistan in their second match of the Women’s T20 World Cup at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday night (7.30pm start).
It is a vitally important game, after they were hammered in their tournament opener against Australia on Saturday, and the national team need to bounce back strongly to get themselves back into the competition.
They come up against a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde type side, however, who can play brilliantly on one day and poorly the next, and are often powered by their incredible captain Fatima Sana.
Proteas v Pakistan
Earlier this year, the Proteas beat Pakistan in a home T20I series and home ODI series, both 2-1, and in the games that the visitors came out on top, Sana impressed, with her player-of-the-match award in their T20I win, and she was also player of the series, while in their ODI win she scored a half-century and took two wickets.
“They are always a tough challenge because you don’t know which Pakistan team is going to rock up on the day. Especially with their captain (Sana), she’s been so good for them over the last couple of years,” said Proteas all-rounder Marizanne Kapp ahead of the match.
“Playing in Birmingham (is tough) as well. Usually that wicket is quite flat and very good for batting. So we know it is going to be a challenge and we have to be at our best.”
Kapp is well aware of the Proteas’ struggles, and she admitted they weren’t at their best against the Aussies, but was confident that the team could turn things around.
“It wasn’t our best game of cricket to be honest and we know that, so we are a bit disappointed. But in saying that it’s not over, it’s just one game, and if you look at our history, for some reason, that’s how we (often) start tournaments,” said Kapp.
“It’s something we are not proud of, but there is still a lot to look forward to and we know we can turn things around.”
Aussie game
Against Australia, the Proteas produced a mixed showing with the ball, taking regular wickets, but they were unable to string a number of good overs in a row, which proved costly as the Aussies amassed 172/8 batting first.
A dreadful Proteas batting effort then followed, with just three players reaching double figures, and only captain Laura Wolvaardt and Nadine de Klerk standing out, as they were skittled for just 107.
“We weren’t at our best with the ball. We were good in patches, but it was a bit of an up-and-down performance, as we were good and then we let it slip. So we know that we have to be better,” explained Kapp.
“We bowled a lot of loose balls and a lot of boundary balls. But again we are not too worried about it, we just have to go out there and be better. We can’t worry about that too much because then we can’t move forward.
“I am very disappointed with how we did with the bat. We had a few soft wickets, including mine. But we can’t be too hard on the middle and lower order because once you are behind in a chase like that it’s hard to bring it back. So we know where we need to improve going forward.”
