SA vs BAN: De Klerk Seals Victory For South Africa

A thrilling SA vs BAN match at Visakhapatnam saw South Africa defeating Bangladesh team by three wickets with three balls remaining, due to undefeated innings from Nadine de Klerk and major support from Chloe Tryon of 62 runs and Marizanne Kapp 56 runs.

This was South Africa’s second consecutive thriller victory at Vizag, after their previous victory over India. However, in contrast to the earlier match, the SA vs BAN encounter did not go down quite as easily.

De Klerk Seals Thriller After Late Lifeline

Nadine de Klerk once again proved to be the game-changer, remaining unbeaten on 37 off 29 deliveries. Despite coming in for a huge let-off in the ninth over when Shorna Akter dropped a catch at long-off with only 10 runs needed from 8 balls de Klerk kept her cool.

They needed eight runs off the last over. She smacked a four first thing. Then came the six that sealed the win. All from just three balls. Victory yanked right out of defeat like that. Her steady nerves in those pressure moments really locked down the SA vs BAN thriller.

Tryon and Kapp Lay the Foundation

Earlier during the pursuit, South Africa was in trouble against Bangladesh’s well-disciplined bowling unit. But Chloe Tryon steadied the middle order with a calm 62 from 69 balls, while Marizanne Kapp contributed a spirited half-century.Their combination neutralised the attack of Nahida Akter and Ritu Moni, who had restricted the runs in the first half of the innings.

Bangladesh Let Slip a Golden Opportunity

Though they lost, Bangladesh had a great promise. Their bowlers bowled with purpose, but their fielding under pressure was what eventually lost them the game. A string of dropped catches, especially during the last overs, undermined their efforts.

The greatest moment arrived when Shorna Akter who was Bangladesh’s hero with the bat dropped de Klerk off in the 49th over. It was the turning point of the SA vs BAN contest.

Bangladesh’s Best Batting Display in the Tournament

Winning the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana set the tone with a 50 from 77 balls. The top four of the innings all got themselves going, setting a strong foundation. Yet, their run rate remained slow in the first 30 overs, with a whopping 126 dot balls more than four an over indicative of their cautious strategy.

But then the innings came to life with the presence of Shorna Akter, who posted a brilliant 34-ball 50, including three sixes and three fours, which was the quickest Bangladeshi fifty in Women’s ODIs.

She was ably complemented by Ritu Moni, who blasted 19 from 8 balls, including three on the trot off Kapp, to get the innings off to a strong finish. Bangladesh made 37 runs off the last three overs, putting up a fighting total that seemed defendable for most of the chase.