South Africa scrape a four‑wicket win over Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup
In a low‑scoring encounter at the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, South Africa edged past Bangladesh by four wickets, reaching the modest target of 118 with just four balls to spare. The victory, described by coach Mandla Mashimbyi as “the W”, left the Proteas aware that they had been fortunate rather than dominant.
Match summary
- Bangladesh innings: 117/5 (20 overs). Sharmin Akhtar top‑scored with 42, while Sobhana Mostary added a useful 30‑run cameo.
- South Africa chase: 118/6 (19.2 overs). Laura Wolvaardt fell for a duck, but Marizanne Kapp (16 off 2) Shabnim Ismail steadied the innings.
- Result: South Africa won by 4 wickets (4 balls remaining).
Bowling highlights
The Proteas began with fire. On the very first ball of Bangladesh’s innings, Marizanne Kapp removed Juairiya Ferdous, claiming her 100th T20 International wicket – a milestone that underscored her experience [1]. Shabnim Ismail followed with a tidy spell of 1/15 from four overs, trapping Taj Nehar lbw and helping South Africa concede only 23 runs in the powerplay while delivering 25 dot balls [2].
After the early burst, the bowling lacked penetration. Nonkuleko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon conceded too many leg‑side wides, allowing Bangladesh to rebuild through a 56‑run partnership between Sharmin Akhtar and Sobhana Mostary for the third wicket.
Batting struggles
South Africa’s reply was far from fluent. Opening batter Laura Wolvaardt fell to the first ball of the innings, a late in‑swinger from Murafa Akter that struck her off‑stump [3]. The middle order failed to capitalize on the fielding restrictions; Tazmin Brits and Annerie Dercksen managed only three fours and a six, relying heavily on singles and deuces.
Marizanne Kapp top‑scored with 16 runs from 20 balls, rotating the strike but finding boundaries scarce. After the powerplay, the Proteas added just four more boundaries, the occasional edges – an outside edge from Tryon in the final over that finally eased the mounting pressure.
Reflecting on the effort, Kapp admitted, “It was miserable… but a win is a win” [4].
Coach’s perspective
Speaking after the match, head coach Mandla Mashimbyi acknowledged the team’s sub‑par execution: “We didn’t play our best; we were at around 75 % of our potential” [5]. He noted that, aside from Tazmin Brits’ performance against the Netherlands, the Proteas have yet to display the aggressive intent they frequently talk about in tournament settings.
Ismail echoed the sentiment, stating that the side still has room to grow if they aim to advance deeper into the competition.
Why Bangladesh fell short
Bangladesh’s total of 117/5 was about 20 runs higher than their expected score given the conditions, largely thanks to a late flourish from captain Nigar Sultana. Sultana remained unbeaten on 32 off 20 balls, scoring 36 runs in the final three overs after being promoted up the order [6]. The delay in sending in their best batter cost them momentum earlier in the innings.
References
- ESPNcricinfo – SA vs BW, 23rd Match, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023
- ICC – Shabnim Ismail’s bowling figures, SA vs BAN
- ICC – Laura Wolvaardt’s early wicket
- ESPNcricinfo – Marizanne Kapp post‑match interview
- ESPNcricinfo – Coach Mandla Mashimbyi press conference
- ICC – Nigar Sultana’s late‑game contribution
