Johannesburg — The Proteas gave their confidence a boost ahead of the Cup by completing a come from behind series win against the West Indies at the Wanderers on Sunday.
It wasn’t a triumph without some problems – with the fielding on Sunday particularly poor – but having not played for four months, then the news that captain Dane van Niekerk would miss the Cup with a broke foot and the absence in this series of Lizelle Lee and Marizanne Kapp, it is a win worth celebrating.
Sune Luus, who led the side here and will continue in that role in New Zealand, had said winning this series would be a bonus, and that attention would rather be focussed on testing combinations and tactics. As far as combinations go some questions remain, most notably about who will bat at no.3. South Africa played three different batters there this series, with Andrie Steyn being the most successful following her innings of 53 on Sunday.
However Steyn’s not going to the Cup at all – with Lara Goodall, who is in the main squad played two matches and scored 15 runs, while Anneke Bosch, who is among the ‘travelling reserves’ scored just five in her only outing.
Tazmin Brits opened alongside Laura Wolvaardt in place of ODI Player of the Year Lee who had Covid, but didn’t make sufficient use of her opportunities scoring 95 runs in four innings.
The next few weeks – part of which will be spent in a ‘mandatory isolation and quarantine’ facility in New Zealand will provide time to ponder those questions and the two warm-up games the side will play in Christchurch before their March 5 Cup opener against Bangladesh will assist in that regard too.
Even in Kapp’s absence and with Shabnim Ismail not at her best, South Africa’s bowling was outstanding throughout this series and as has been the case in the last few years will be the side’s major weapon.
The bowlers were made to work harder than they should have on Sunday, due to a dreadful fielding performance in which four catches were dropped, two in the category of extremely easy. This West Indies side was missing a few key players for the final match including the skipper Stafanie Taylor and had she been given chances like those Kycia Knight and Cherry Ann Fraser got, the Proteas’ run-chase would have been significantly tougher.
While her teammates floundered in the field, Wolvaardt produced a candidate for catch of the season, with a stunning one handed diving effort to dismiss Hayley Matthews, as the pressure South Africa’s bowlers created was rewarded.
Even though not at her best, Ismail still finished with 4/44 on Sunday, giving her 10 wickets for the series. She was tied for leading wicket taker with Ayabonga Khaka, who in Kapp’s absence took the new ball and showed how much depth South Africa had in the seam bowling department.
South Africa can head to the Cup confident, but also aware there are areas that need polishing, which is not a bad position to be in one month before the tournament starts.
SCORECARD
West Indies 174 all out
South Africa 175/4
SA won by 6 wickets
SA win series 2-1
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