Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt ... a cricketer for the ages

Sydney Cricket Ground, 2015.

AB de Villiers goes berserk. He had done something similar a month earlier at the Wanderers when sporting a pink ensemble smashed his way to 149 from 44 balls.

But here on the World Cup stage, he went even one better, bludgeoning 162 not out off only 66 balls against the West Indies. It included the fastest 50, 100, and 150 in ODI history at the time. 

Kolkata, Eden Gardens, 2023.

With the Proteas reeling at 24/4 in the World Cup semi-final, David Miller delivered under pressure with a superb century to lift the Proteas to a competitive 212. It was not enough to keep the mighty Australia at bay, but Miller showed the BMT (Big Match Temperament) that many of his teammates lacked. 

I was privileged enough to be present at both matches. Witnessing, in my opinion, the two greatest World Cup innings by a Proteas batter. They were contrasting in every manner, but equally brilliant.

But all that changed on Wednesday. 

The Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati has now seen the finest World Cup innings by a Proteas batter - regardless of gender. 

On this occasion, I watched from afar as Laura Wolvaardt delivered the innings of a lifetime.

Every element of both De Villiers and Miller’s innings were prevalent during Wolvaardt’s sensational 169.

All the pressure of a World Cup semi-final was on the shoulders of the captain. Her team was facing an England side that had not only overpowered the Proteas in two previous World Cup semi-finals, but had also routed her side at the very same venue for just 69 at the start of the campaign.

The entire Proteas team were looking at their skipper to provide a sense of calm and belief that they could indeed go toe-to-toe with the former world champions. 

This was provided off the very first ball of the innings. A trademark cover drive that raced over the Barsapara Cricket Stadium outfield showed that the skipper had come to play. 

But Wolvaardt could always pierce the off-side field. The opposition have devised plans to keep her quiet in her favoured area. 

What they haven’t encountered though was Wolvaardt’s new-found 360-degree game. Over the past two years, working intensely with batting coach Baakier Abrahams, Wolvaardt is now able to access the leg-side. 

And how magnificently she did with four towering sixes. 

Wolvaardt’s journey to this critical juncture is remarkable. A youth prodigy who made her Proteas debut at just 16, whilst still at top academic Parklands High School in Cape Town. 

Cricket was not all encompassing at that juncture with Wolvaardt achieving seven distinctions in her seven Matric subjects. A degree in medicine at Stellenbosch University beckoned. 

Fortunately, the women’s game was changing, and there were now potentially lucrative opportunities that persuaded Wolvaardt to pursue an international cricket career. 

Whilst medicine is an honourable profession, it is not only South African cricket that would have been poorer for Wolvaardt’s absence. 

The Proteas Women’s team captain has a gift. She is able to wield a willow like few others, and married with her desire, work ethic and meticulous planning, has transformed into a global superstar that inspires young girls and boys all over the world to take up the game of cricket. 

Regardless of whether the Proteas Women’s team progressed to the World Cup final or not, Wolvaardt delivered a magical innings that will be forever remembered in Proteas’ folklore.