Nadine de Klerk went, higher, further and longer, propelling the Proteas to a nail-biting three-wicket victory over India on Thursday.
De Klerk produced a heroic display, smashing five sixes and ripping a match away from the home team to put SA firmly in contention for a semifinal spot at the World Cup.
De Klerk arrived at the crease with SA needing 100 to win after skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who made 70, was yorked by Kranti Gaud.
After struggling with the ball earlier in the match, the gritty all-rounder — in combination with Chloe Tryon, gradually changed the momentum of the SA innings, with some clever shot placement and, until Tryon injured her calf, good running between the wickets.
Still India were favourites when Tryon was trapped lbw for 49, with SA needing 41 off 25 balls.
But then De Klerk went into beast mode — she smashed a pair of sixes and a four off the hitherto impressive Gaud, another four off Deepti Sharma and then two towering blows off Amanjot Kaur to finish the match.
While she furiously pumped her arms and hugged Ayabonga Khaka, her teammates were lost in elation.
The substitutes poured onto the field, with Wolvaardt high-fiving others in the changeroom.
“We knew we just had to take it deep,” De Klerk, who finished on 84 not out, off only 54 balls, hitting eight fours and five sixes, said.
“I do like being under pressure. I love the World Cups and there is no bigger stage than playing India at their home.”
As for her power-hitting, De Klerk said that just comes naturally.
“That is my role in the side. I have to finish off the game. I had some time. It looked a good wicket and I wanted to give myself a chance.”
SA deserve credit for the grit they showed in recovering from 81/5, with Wolvaardt and Tryon steadying the ship through their partnership of 61.
But in analysing the match they will look back and know India should not have been allowed to reach 251.
It was a Jekyll and Hyde display in the field and with the ball from the Proteas.
After Nonkululeko Mlaba broke the first wicket partnership of 55, by having Smriti Mandhana caught at long on, it was the Proteas who got on top of the match.
India scored 75 runs between the 10th and 35th overs, losing six wickets, and looked in danger of falling short of 200.
Mlaba and Tryon were superb, the latter finishing with 3/32 with Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and the dynamic Jemima Rodrigues among her victims.
SA were again good in the field in support of the bowlers, silencing a smaller than expected crowd in the coastal city.
However, with India on 102/6, it all unravelled, as SA allowed their advantage to slip.
Wolvaardt should have bowled Mlaba in tandem with Tryon at the start of Richa Ghosh’ partnership with Amanjot.
Instead against the medium pace Tumi Sekhukhune and Khaka, the Indian pair were allowed to settle, with Mlaba only returning to the attack once the pair had been batting together for 10 overs.
By then Ghosh had found her rhythm and struck the ball prodigiously, ripping control of the match from the Proteas grasp, causing panic in the last 10 overs.
The Indians, led by Ghosh’s 94 that came off only 77 balls, plundered 98 runs in that period, with De Klerk, Khaka and even Mlaba all punished.
The ground fielding — so excellent against New Zealand and a feature of the match in the first 30 overs of the Indian innings — was ragged, while Ghosh was also dropped twice.
But De Klerk recovered majestically, and the Proteas, as they did in bouncing back against New Zealand after that horrible opening defeat to England, again showed their mental toughness. — TimesLIVE
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