The Proteas are finding their best form at just the right time, all-rounder Marizanne Kapp believes, as they head into their last league stage match off the back of an impressive run of results at the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Having lost their first game of the tournament against England, the SA team bounced back in spectacular fashion, earning their fifth successive victory with a convincing 150-run win (on the DLS method) over co-hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday.
Ahead of yesterday’s game between Australia and England, Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt was the second-highest run-scorer at the World Cup after racking up 270 runs, while her opening partner Tazmin Brits was one of seven players in the tournament to have scored a century.
With the ball, spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was the third highest wicket taker of the competition with 11 scalps.
Most promising, however, was the depth among the SA side’s batters. Between them, Kapp, Wolvaardt, Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon had hit 10 half-centuries between them in six matches.
“I think that’s the beauty of this team at this World Cup. We’re not only relying on one person. It’s been different people picking up their hands, so that’s always good,” said Kapp, who was named Player of the Match against Sri Lanka after contributing 68 runs and taking three wickets.
“At least now everyone has had a good hit out, everyone has had a good bowl, so it feels like we’re just getting better as we move forward.”
Improving on the basics
Though they had already qualified for the semifinals, the Proteas had one more league stage match against Australia, the world’s top-ranked side, in Indore on Saturday.
Kapp felt they could make some improvements with the ball against the Australians, but provided they kept doing what they were doing, she believed they would be competitive in that game, and again in the playoffs.
“We must just keep improving on the basics, which we’ve been doing pretty well,” she said.
“The batters have been very proactive… and the intent is there with the scoring shots.
“Same with the bowlers. We can probably tighten up a little bit on the bowling side of things. Even though we’ve done well I feel like we still bowl some bad and loose deliveries, but in general we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”
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