Mlaba’s Bowling Masterclass fires Proteas to victory in Dubai

WI Women: 118/6 (Stafanie Taylor 44*, Shemaine Campbell 17; Nonkululeko Mlaba 4/29, Marizanne Kapp 2/14)

SA Women: 119/0 (Laura Wolvaardt 59*, Tazmin Brits 57*)

South Africa Women won by 10 wickets.

SOUTH Africa Women got their World Cup campaign started with a commanding ten-wicket victory over West Indies Women at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The opening batters Laura Wolvaardt (59* off 55, 7x4s) and Tazmin Brits (57* off 52, 6x4s) took their time in chasing a low target of 119 in the searing heat in the Dubai desert plains.

However, it was the Proteas Women’s bowling attack that set the game up perfectly with a meticulous plan having won the toss and opted to bowl first, a gutsy decision given that the West Indies Women batting line-up is well known for being explosive.

First up, Marizanne Kapp got the new ball to talk and eventually made early inroads into the Windies batting line-up with the big wicket of Windies captain Hayley Matthews (10).

On the opposite end, Ayabonga Khaka set a steady platform as she troubled the opposition batters while maintaining a very economical new ball spell.

Captain Wolvaardt soon after introduced Nonkululeko Mlaba into the attack and given that the left-arm orthodox went into the match with three wickets in six T20I matches, no one knew what to expect from the highly respect spinner who had been slightly off form.

However, it turned out to be Mlaba’s day in Dubai as she ripped through the Windies batting order, accounting for opening batter Qiana Joseph (10).

The master stroke was Wolvaardt’s risky decision to allow Kapp to bowl her third consecutive over, however, it worked perfectly as Kapp claimed the prized wicket of Deandra Dottin (13) to leave the Windies on 32/3 after 6.5 overs.

From there on in, it was a Mlaba show as the spinner clean bowled Shemaine Campbell (17) before drawing Chinelle Henry into a forward defence shot only to have her brilliantly caught behind by wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.

Mlaba would go on to account for Aaliyah Alleyne (7) to record career-best figures of 4/29 in four overs and restricted the Windies to 118/6 despite an unbeaten handy knock from Stafanie Taylor (44*).

“This is very special for me because I know I’m playing for all the people back in South Africa, representing my family. I have their names on the back of my shirt and I always love playing for my country, it feels good,” said Mlaba.

“For me, it was all about bowling to the stumps, just don’t leave the stumps..no matter what happens just don’t leave the stumps, and I think that really worked for me. And the support from my mates, I’ll always be grateful for that.”

With a small target to chase, and given that South Africa recently got bowled out for 90 odd runs by New Zealand Women in the warm-ups, one would assume that the Windies fancied their chances.

However, Wolvaardt and Brits put on their own masterclass as they took their time to assess the conditions, respecting the good balls while putting the bad ones away for boundaries.

The skipper fittingly struck the winning runs and helped South Africa send a statement to all the ten teams competing at this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

“It was amazing (watching Wolvaardt and Brits chase down the target with ease),” said Mlaba.

“I was sitting in the changeroom because it was hot out there and kept clapping for them because they did well and I’m so happy for them.”

South Africa will return to action on Monday when they take on England Women in Sharjah.