A Valiant lower order fight back saw the Proteas women's team fall just 16-runs short of what would have been a famous chase against the West Indies in the first of their three One-Day International matches at Buffalo Park yesterday.
Eastern Province allrounder Marizanne Kapp (69no) in her 50th match for the team almost led the Proteas out of the fire, sharing in a superb eighth wicket 70-run partnership with number nine batsman Shabnim Ismail (34), this after they had been reduced to 120/7 chasing the West Indies 214/7.
However at the fall of Ismail, number 10 Masabata Klaas came in and was out for a second ball duck, leaving them 24 runs short of a win.
Proteas allrounder Chloe Tryon then valiantly came out to bat, having fractured her finger fielding in the first innings, but she was then cleaned up after hitting a boundary in her seven-run stay as they were all out for 198.
The West Indies Deandra Dottin was the destroyer-in-chief claiming a superb 5/34 to be awarded the player-of-the-match award.
The Proteas chase got off to a slow, yet solid start as openers Laura Wolvaardt and Trisha Chetty looked to negotiate the opening 10 overs.
Having taken them to 33 off the first 9.5 overs, Wolvaardt (10) was then the first to fall on the last ball of the 10th over, caught by Dottin off the bowling of Anisa Mohammed, who bowled a wicket maiden.
Captain Mignon du Preez (seven) then did not last long as she popped a catch back to Mohammed to claim her second wicket in the 14th over with the score 49/2.
A good 33-run partnership between Chetty and Kapp then ensued, however a disastrous middle-order collapse then looked as if it had put the Proteas chances to bed.
Having reached 82/2 in the 23rd over, Dottin then ripped the heart out of the Proteas middle-order.
In the morning having won the toss the West Indies women elected to bat in perfect conditions.
Openers Hayley Matthews and Shaquana Quintyne started well enough, working through the first six overs.
Quintyne was looking good having struck two fours and a six in a 23-ball 18, however she became the first wicket to fall in the seventh over when Ismail managed to get one through her defences to castle her with the West Indies on 27.
Captain Stafanie Taylor then joined Matthews at the crease and they took the West Indies past 50 in the 13th over.
Van Niekerk was then introduced to the attack in the 15th over and she struck with her second ball, trapping Taylor (13) on the crease in front ending a 30-run stand.
Dottin was next to the crease and her and Matthews then embarked on a positive partnership.
The West Indies continued on and brought up the 100 in the 24th over and in the next Matthews then brought up her well played half century.
Two balls later and Dottin brought up their 50-partnership with a boundary, but in the next over she was given out leg-before for 28 as Luus broke the dangerous partnership.
With the platform laid at 113/3 the West Indies looked like they could kick on to a good score, however another two quick wickets changed the complexion of the innings as Matthews (56) became Luus's second wicket in her next over and Merissa Aguilleira (seven), followed bowled by Van Niekerk as they slipped to 131/5.
Britney Cooper then batted well with the lower order to get the West Indies to their final total of 214/7, sharing a good 48-run partnership with Shemaine Campbelle (28) and then a 30-run stand with Mohammed (six), with Cooper ending unbeaten on 55.
Opening day blues
Eastern Province allrounder Marizanne Kapp (69no) in her 50th match for the team almost led the Proteas out of the fire, sharing in a superb eighth wicket 70-run partnership with number nine batsman Shabnim Ismail (34), this after they had been reduced to 120/7 chasing the West Indies 214/7.
However at the fall of Ismail, number 10 Masabata Klaas came in and was out for a second ball duck, leaving them 24 runs short of a win.
Proteas allrounder Chloe Tryon then valiantly came out to bat, having fractured her finger fielding in the first innings, but she was then cleaned up after hitting a boundary in her seven-run stay as they were all out for 198.
The West Indies Deandra Dottin was the destroyer-in-chief claiming a superb 5/34 to be awarded the player-of-the-match award.
The Proteas chase got off to a slow, yet solid start as openers Laura Wolvaardt and Trisha Chetty looked to negotiate the opening 10 overs.
Having taken them to 33 off the first 9.5 overs, Wolvaardt (10) was then the first to fall on the last ball of the 10th over, caught by Dottin off the bowling of Anisa Mohammed, who bowled a wicket maiden.
Captain Mignon du Preez (seven) then did not last long as she popped a catch back to Mohammed to claim her second wicket in the 14th over with the score 49/2.
A good 33-run partnership between Chetty and Kapp then ensued, however a disastrous middle-order collapse then looked as if it had put the Proteas chances to bed.
Having reached 82/2 in the 23rd over, Dottin then ripped the heart out of the Proteas middle-order.
In the morning having won the toss the West Indies women elected to bat in perfect conditions.
Openers Hayley Matthews and Shaquana Quintyne started well enough, working through the first six overs.
Quintyne was looking good having struck two fours and a six in a 23-ball 18, however she became the first wicket to fall in the seventh over when Ismail managed to get one through her defences to castle her with the West Indies on 27.
Captain Stafanie Taylor then joined Matthews at the crease and they took the West Indies past 50 in the 13th over.
Van Niekerk was then introduced to the attack in the 15th over and she struck with her second ball, trapping Taylor (13) on the crease in front ending a 30-run stand.
Dottin was next to the crease and her and Matthews then embarked on a positive partnership.
The West Indies continued on and brought up the 100 in the 24th over and in the next Matthews then brought up her well played half century.
Two balls later and Dottin brought up their 50-partnership with a boundary, but in the next over she was given out leg-before for 28 as Luus broke the dangerous partnership.
With the platform laid at 113/3 the West Indies looked like they could kick on to a good score, however another two quick wickets changed the complexion of the innings as Matthews (56) became Luus's second wicket in her next over and Merissa Aguilleira (seven), followed bowled by Van Niekerk as they slipped to 131/5.
Britney Cooper then batted well with the lower order to get the West Indies to their final total of 214/7, sharing a good 48-run partnership with Shemaine Campbelle (28) and then a 30-run stand with Mohammed (six), with Cooper ending unbeaten on 55.
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