The South African women’s cricket team will arrive back in the country today heartbroken, thinking about what could have been after losing their ODI final by 52 runs against hosts India in Navi Mumbai on Sunday evening.
They really shouldn’t be too hard on themselves after showing such character throughout the tournament to reach their first ODI final and third white-ball cricket final.
Set a target of 299 runs to win the trophy, the run chase went awry despite captain Laura Wolvaardt scoring her second straight century.
The Indian bowlers found a way to pick up wickets at regular intervals after squeezing them with some brilliant fielding and tight bowling.
Reaching the final is a massive achievement on its own, having being rolled for just 69 runs by England in the World Cup opener a month ago.
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They vowed to bounce back and they certainly did, winning five matches in a row before former champions Australia dismissed them for just 97 in their final match before the playoffs.
But, again, Wolvaardt and company showed their grit to thump England in the semifinals. Wolvaardt is just 26.
There are a number of other really good youngsters coming through the ranks and exposure like this on the world stage can only benefit them going forward.
SA women’s cricket is on a solid path to success.
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