Nadine de Klerk produced a career-best unbeaten 84 to lead South Africa to a thrilling three-wicket win over India in a Women’s World Cup group-stage classic, overshadowing Richa Ghosh’s valiant 94. The win sees South Africa pull level on points with India and England, sitting fourth on the table with a lower net run-rate.
Chasing 276 for victory in Oran, South Africa found themselves in deep trouble at 81 for 5 in the 20th over. But de Klerk, coming in at No.8, held her nerve during a tense final phase, scoring 39 runs off her last 15 balls to complete the fifth-highest successful chase in Women’s World Cup history, with seven balls to spare.
India had earlier recovered from 102 for 6 thanks to a fighting knock from Ghosh, who smashed 94 off 67 balls, and late cameos from Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana to post 275.
India began positively after being put in to bat, scoring 55 in the powerplay. Pratika Rawal played fluently while Smriti Mandhana, despite struggling for timing, passed Belinda Clarke’s record for most ODI runs in a calendar year with a powerful six over the bowler’s head.
However, South Africa struck back swiftly. Nonkululekho Mlaba and Nadine de Klerk dried up the boundaries and applied pressure. Mlaba removed both Mandhana and Harleen Deol, and South Africa’s fourth seamer, Tumi Sekhukhune, deceived Rawal with a slower ball. Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur both fell cheaply, and when Deepti Sharma was caught behind, India were 102 for 6.
Ghosh and Amanjot then added 51 for the seventh wicket before Ghosh, with support from Rana, added a further burst of momentum. Ghosh reached her fifty in 53 balls and peppered the boundary in the death overs, hitting sixes and fours off Kapp, Tryon, and Khaka. Her eventual 94 came off 67 balls and powered India to 275.
In reply, South Africa lost Tazmin Brits early, the opener falling for her first career duck after a brilliant return catch by Kranti Gaud. Sune Luus was out soon after, and Marizanne Kapp was bowled by a gem from Rana.
Laura Wolvaardt anchored the innings with a patient fifty, but wickets continued to fall. By the 30th over, South Africa were still far behind the rate and running out of recognised batters.
Tryon’s partnership of 61 with Wolvaardt and then 69 with de Klerk gave the innings renewed hope. But when Tryon, battling a calf issue, was dismissed lbw after a brief flourish, South Africa still needed 41 from 25 balls.
That’s when de Klerk took control. She launched Rana for six and four, then hammered back-to-back sixes off Gaud to bring up her maiden ODI fifty. With 23 required off 18, she found boundaries off Deepti Sharma, then finished the chase with two more sixes over deep midwicket and long-on.
The innings ended with South African fans outcheering a stunned home crowd, as de Klerk remained unbeaten on 84 from 57 deliveries, a knock of precision, patience and power.
Earlier in the innings, India’s left-arm spin threat was on display once more, Rodrigues became the third player in the tournament to fall to that angle, and India have now suffered 11 dismissals to left-arm spin, the most of any team in the competition.
Despite Ghosh’s brilliance, India were left to rue two late wickets in the final over of their innings, which may have proved decisive. South Africa, meanwhile, will celebrate one of their most memorable chases, driven by a lower-order star who rose to the moment.
