Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp celebrating a wicket during the South Africa vs. India Women's T20I series in Chennai, 2024.

South Africa Women versus India Women T20I Series, 2024

1st T20I

Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp has helped South Africa Women to secure a victory against India Women

Brits was the top scorer for South Africa with 81 runs.

South Africa scored 189/4 in 20 overs, where as India scored 177/4 in 20 overs.

So, finally South Africa beat India by 12 runs.

Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp delivered outstanding performances, leading South Africa to a 12-run victory in the opening T20I against India in Chennai on Friday (July 5).

Brits (81 off 56) and Kapp (57 off 33) forged a crucial 96-run partnership for the second wicket in just 56 balls, forming the foundation for South Africa’s total of 189/4 after being put in to bat.

In response, India started strong thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s brisk 46, but South Africa managed to regain control during the middle overs.

Jemimah Rodrigues’s unbeaten 53 off 30 ultimately couldn’t prevent India from being restricted to 177/4, giving South Africa their first win of the tour.

The Difference: India’s Catching and the Contrasting Middle Overs

“Definitely we didn’t play good cricket overall.

Dropped too many chances in the field, played too many dot balls in the middle overs,” Harmanpreet Kaur summarized while speaking to the broadcaster post-match.

India missed catches of Kapp and Brits, allowing them to build a significant partnership and dominate the middle overs.

Conversely, the dismissal of Mandhana hindered India’s progress during the middle overs.

Despite Rodrigues’s efforts, Harmanpreet’s struggle left too much to do, resulting in India’s inability to keep up.

South Africa’s Innings

Powerplay: Wolvaardt Powers SA’s Positive Start

Phase score: 44/0 [RR: 7.33, 4s/6s: 5/2]

Laura Wolvaardt initiated with a lofted four off Renuka Singh in the opening over and further targeted Singh in her next over, hitting a six and two fours to take 16 off the over.

Shreyanka Patil’s dropped catch off Pooja Vastrakar denied India a crucial early wicket.

Tazmin Brits also contributed with a couple of fours, and Wolvaardt’s six off Deepti Sharma helped South Africa end the powerplay strongly despite Vastrakar’s economical spell.

Middle Overs: Kapp, Brits Put on a Productive Stand

Phase score: 87/1 [RR: 9.66, 4s/6s: 11/2]

Wolvaardt and Brits extended their partnership to 50 before Wolvaardt was bowled by Radha Yadav for 33.

Marizanne Kapp then joined Brits, and together they batted aggressively, bringing up South Africa’s 100 in the 12th over.

Both players hit sixes, with their partnership exceeding 50 runs, setting the stage for a strong finish.

Asha Sobhana and Renuka Singh were expensive, with Singh ending with figures of 0 for 42 from her four overs.

Death Overs: Brits’ Blitz Powers SA to a Sizable Total

Phase score: 58/3 [RR: 11.6, 4s/6s: 5/3]

Both Brits and Kapp reached their fifties with boundaries off Vastrakar in the 16th over.

Despite Richa Ghosh’s injury, which led to her being replaced by Uma Chetry, Kapp fell in the 17th over to Radha Yadav.

However, Brits continued to dominate, hitting two sixes in Radha’s over.

Tryon and Brits further accelerated, helping South Africa to a formidable total, despite only 12 runs coming off the final two overs.

India’s Innings

Powerplay: Mandhana Helps India Start the Chase Well

Phase score: 61/1 [RR: 10.16, 4s/6s: 7/2]

India began their chase energetically, outscoring South Africa’s powerplay total by 17 runs, thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s quick start.

Mandhana scored 31 of India’s 61 powerplay runs, including a six each off Nadine de Klerk and Eliz-Mari Marx, along with four boundaries.

Shafali Verma also batted briskly, and the openers raised a half-century stand within five overs before Verma was dismissed by Ayabonga Khaka.

During this phase, Brits had to leave the field due to a right lower leg contusion.

Middle Overs: Quick Wickets Pull India Back

Phase score: 64/2 [RR: 7.11, 4s/6s: 9/0]

Mandhana and Dayalan Hemalatha steadied India’s innings, though Hemalatha struggled with her scoring rate.

Mandhana continued to score well but fell to Tryon, just shy of a half-century.

Hemalatha was dismissed by de Klerk in the following over.

Rodrigues hit boundaries regularly, but Harmanpreet Kaur struggled to find her rhythm.

Death Overs: Disciplined South Africa Secure Their First Win

Phase score: 52/1 [RR: 10.4, 4s/6s: 7/1]

With India needing 65 runs off the last five overs, Ayabonga Khaka bowled a tight 16th over, limiting India to six runs and containing Harmanpreet.

Rodrigues and Harmanpreet each hit a boundary off Tryon in the 17th over, but the required run rate remained steep.

Harmanpreet’s struggle continued against the disciplined South African bowling.

Despite Rodrigues’s impressive late assault, India required 21 runs off the final over, a target that proved too difficult as Nonkululeko Mlaba conceded only eight runs and took Harmanpreet’s wicket off the last ball, sealing South Africa’s victory.

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