Star Proteas women’s team all-rounder Marizanne Kapp is confident that a big performance from her is just around the corner, and is hopeful it will arrive when her team need it most, as the South Africans prepare to take on Pakistan in their Women’s T20 World Cup group match on Wednesday.
It is a must-win game for the Proteas at Edgbaston in Birmingham (7:30pm start) after they lost their tournament opener against Australia. They are in a group of death also featuring India, and another loss could see their World Cup aspirations dealt a major, possibly terminal, blow.
Kapp is one of a large contingent of senior players in the team that will need to stand up and be counted now, as they attempt to bounce back with a strong performance and get their campaign back on track.
Against the Aussies Kapp picked up 1/29 in four overs, and scored 12 off six balls, but was dreadfully run out after misjudging what she thought was an easy two runs, as she took the first run leisurely before she was out short of her ground going for the second.
Despite an average performance, Kapp says she has been doing well in training and feeling good, and thus believes that a statement performance in on the horizon.
Feeling good
“I have been feeling good with both bat and ball. Against Australia I felt like I was a bit predictable with the ball, especially during the powerplay. But that was a tough wicket (in Manchester), because it is more geared for the spinners,” explained Kapp.
“I am very disappointed with the way I got out in the match. With the way I have been hitting the ball in the last couple of weeks I should have won that game for us. But I know a big innings or bowling performance is hopefully just around the corner.
“So for me I just need to keep working hard and hopefully it will come when we need it most.”
Despite their poor start to the tournament the Proteas know they can turn things around, after they started the 50-over World Cup in India last year in a similar fashion, with a heavy loss to England, before they went on to make the tournament final.
“We started like that at last year’s World Cup. We are definitely not proud of our performance against Australia and we are not making excuses. But we are still in a position to turn things around and if we win every game from now on we can still make it through,” said Kapp.
“So we definitely haven’t lost hope yet and hopefully we can get better and keep improving in every game going forward.”
