Courtesy: ICC/X
South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt along with star batter Tazmin Brits pulled off a remarkable 119-run stand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Owing to their remarkable partnership, the Proteas Women registered a 10-wicket win over West Indies in their campaign opener at the marquee tournament. On Friday, October 4, South Africa locked horns with West Indies to kick off their World Cup 2024 campaign at the Dubai International Stadium.
In the tournament, South Africa are in Group B of the tournament along with England, West Indies, Bangladesh, and Scotland. In their season opener, South African opener Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits scored 43 runs from the first six overs and were soon at 68 at the halfway stage of the innings without any loss. While Wolvaardt remained not out at 55 off 55 balls, Tazmin Brits came up with 57* runs off 52 balls. Their unbeaten opening wicket partnership helped the side chase down their 119-run target in 17.5 overs.
T20 cricket is such a fickle format: South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt
South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt is expected to play a crucial role for her side, and it goes without saying that she has begun on the right note. South Africa will aim to go one step beyond their last-year’s campaign, where they finished as runners-up. After the side registered a solid 10-wicket win over their rivals, Wolvaardt opened up about playing in conditions of Dubai and said, “One of the harder knocks I have had physically, especially after fielding first.”
On being asked if she has to keep a better eye on the over-rate, she said, “ Definitely. Not ideal. Had to slip in quite a bit of spin after the first half. (On the team's performance) It was pretty excellent overall. The way Kappie started and then to have Mlaba take four wickets, it is amazing. Then to win with ten wickets in the shed, that is amazing as well.”
Earlier, she spoke about the tournament, and was quoted by the ICC as saying, “I think T20 cricket is such a fickle format. I think obviously last year (2023 T20 World Cup), last time was great, but we’re just looking to take it one game at a time. Obviously a very difficult pool, but hopefully we can make semi-finals and then anything can happen from that.”
