The Group B qualifiers for the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup will be two of South Africa, England and West Indies, after the Proteas ended Bangladesh’s dream of reaching the final four.
Having restricted Bangladesh to just 106/3 from their 20 overs, South Africa delivered a controlled chase to wrap up a seven-wicket win with 2.4 overs remaining.
Opener Tazmin Brits top-scored with 42 (from 41 balls) in the chase, continuing her excellent tournament.
The outstanding Marizanne Kapp had set the tone with the ball for South Africa, finishing with figures of 1/10 from her four overs, while the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Nonkululeko Mlaba was similarly impressive with 1/11 from her four.
Bangladesh’s players threw everything at South Africa in the field, but defeat means that they can no longer qualify from Group B, having completed their group games and picked up just two points.
How South Africa’s batters wrapped up the win
Having been set a modest 107 to win, a solid powerplay had the Proteas well placed on 36/1 after six overs, with skipper Laura Wolvaardt the only wicket to fall, stumped by Nigar Sultana off Fahima Khatun for 7.
A bristling partnership between Tazmin Brits and Anneke Bosch got South Africa well ahead of the rate, as the pair took the attack to Bangladesh.
Bosch fell reverse-sweeping Khatun, departing for a run-a-ball 25. And Brits went just eight balls later as she was cleaned up by Ritu Moni for 42 (41).
But between them they’d done much of the legwork in the chase, and the job was finished in style by big-hitting middle order batters Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon.
The story of the first innings
Earlier, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana won the toss and decided to bat first against South Africa at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
But the Tigresses made a sluggish start with the bat after Dilara Akter was caught behind off Marizanne Kapp from just the second ball of the innings.
South African pace duo Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka proved extremely tricky for Bangladesh to get away, as the six-over powerplay ended with the score at just 21/1.
Shathi Rani tried to up the rate and hit the game’s first maximum in the process, but the attacking shift proved her undoing as she was caught in the deep off Annerie Dercksen as Bangladesh reached 43/2 at the midway point of the innings.
Sobhana Mostary and Nigar Sultana boosted the score, with the former impressing in a 43-ball 38 before being cleaned up by a dipping beauty from Nonkululeko Mlaba.
And skipper Sultana was still out there in the middle, helping side reach 106/3 with a resolute 38-ball 32. But her efforts and that total ultimately proved insufficient as Bangladesh slipped to a defeat that ends their tournament.
South Africa’s win means that they move top of Group B and now can only wait to see what unfolds in the remaining matches.
Six points will be enough to send them through should England beat West Indies in Tuesday’s group-stage finale, but a heavy win for the English over Scotland on Sunday followed by a West Indies victory over England could yet deny the Proteas a spot in the semis on NRR.
International Cricket Council
