THE Proteas Women broke their duck in their tour of India by defeating the hosts by 12 runs in the first of three T20 Internationals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
The second T20 match will be played at the same venue today, and South Africa will get the opportunity to redeem their tour and season following a poor run of form in this format.
The ninth edition ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will get under way in October, and it will be hosted by Bangladesh. The tour to India has offered both nations good preparation against tough opponents with one eye on the global event, and for South Africa the value and exposure to subcontinental conditions will stand them in good stead in Bangladesh.
The Proteas played a total of 17 T20I in the summer, and only managed to win four, losing nine with the rest being no results. It is an area of concern that needs to be addressed as the World Cup nears, and the win against India is the perfect start.
Opening batter Tazmin Brits starred with the bat, but had to tough out an early difficult phase where runs were hard to come by. The 33-year-old credits the advice and contributions of Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt in her innings gaining momentum and ultimately winning South Africa the match.
“I tried to remain positive. I was hoping that if I get one ball on the bat, something will happen and the game will change, but I felt bad for not getting off strike quicker,” said Brits.
“I do not think it was nerves, we are cricketers and unfortunately that is life. We get into deep holes, with ODIs and returning from a knee injury, and not getting runs. I mean if you are not getting runs you are not doing your job. It was more within myself, I tried to hit the ball too hard in the first few overs. I wanted to hit the leather off the ball and send it back to South Africa.
“I think I wasn’t getting into good positions, but communication from Kappie and Wolfie also helped.
“It’s difficult to see when you’re batting what you’re actually doing wrong, maybe your head position, or you’re leaning back, so it’s nice to have that at the other end and they gave me that advice, and it helped me shift the game a bit,” Brits added.
The partnership of 96 runs off 59 balls between Kapp and Brits put South Africa in a strong position to post a defendable score of 189-4, and Brits believes that the experience that Kapp and Wolvaardt have in Indian conditions played a key role in the victory.
“They are both in good form. I’m sure everyone has seen that, scoring those hundreds and almost winning the second ODI for us – not just that but also playing leagues in India.
“I think they know the wickets and the bowlers. The information from them always helps as you know what to expect,” Brits said.