South Africa Women defeat India to complete 4-1 series triumph

South Africa Women sealed a commanding 4-1 T20I series victory over India with a composed 23-run win at Willowmoore Park on Freedom Day (April 27), led once again by captain Laura Wolvaardt.

With the series already secured after wins in Durban and Johannesburg, and a lone defeat at the Bullring, the Proteas entered the final clash determined to wrap up their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UK in June on a high note – and delivered in style.

Wolvaardt produced a captain’s innings of the highest quality, striking an unbeaten 92 off 56 balls, decorated with nine fours and two sixes.

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The elegant right-hander finished as the series’ leading run-scorer with 330 runs, including three half-centuries, highlighted by her superb 115 off 53 in the third T20I at the Wanderers. This is a new record for the most runs scored in a bilateral women’s T20I series.

The 27-year-old’s effort powered South Africa to 155/6 before a disciplined bowling and fielding display restricted India to 132/8, falling 23 runs short of their 156-run target.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Wolvaardt and Sunè Luus gave the hosts a solid platform, racing to 49/0 in the powerplay. Wolvaardt was the aggressor early on, blasting 44 off just 25 deliveries.

Luus, who had been dropped on 18, added only four more runs before being stumped by Richa Ghosh off the bowling of Shree Charani, after charging down the track.

The Proteas then stumbled through the middle overs. Tazmin Brits was bowled by Charani, while Annerie Dercksen fell attempting a reverse sweep, picking out Arundhati Reddy at short fine leg off Deepti Sharma.

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Wolvaardt survived a scare on 66 when Jemimah Rodrigues’s brilliant diving catch effort came up just short, the ball spilling away for four.

Deepti struck again with the wicket of Anneke Bosch, while Renuka Singh accounted for Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk to keep India in the contest.

However, a brisk unbeaten 16 off 8 balls from Sinalo Jafta provided late impetus, pushing South Africa to a competitive 155/6, helped by Wolvaardt’s back-to-back sixes with the last two balls of the innings.

India’s chase never fully ignited. Shafali Verma fell early to Eliz-Mari Marx, while Ayabonga Khaka removed Rodrigues soon after, leaving the visitors struggling at 28/2 in the powerplay.

Further wickets followed as pressure mounted, though captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Bharti Fulmali briefly revived hopes with a 38-run stand for the fourth wicket.

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That resistance was broken when Nonkululeko Mlaba dismissed Kaur (22), and despite Fulmali’s spirited 40 off 30 balls, Tryon ended her innings to halt any late charge.

De Klerk and Mlaba then struck at the death to remove the lower order, ensuring South Africa closed out the series emphatically.