World Cup Final: Protea Women require 299 to make history in Navi Mumbai

The Proteas Women require a record-breaking 299 runs to win the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup against India in Navi Mumbai. 

The highest successful run chase in World Cup finals is 167 by Australia, and as a result, many teams normally opt to bat first in World Cup finals to avoid scoreboard pressure. 

However, Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt, upon winning her second toss in the tournament, opted to chase, backing what has been their strength in the showpiece event. 

Bowling first, all eyes were on South Africa’s new ball pair, the experienced duo of Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka.

The two had been phenomenal throughout the tournament, breaking the opposition’s opening stands consistently.

The two quicks relied on swing up front. However, the wicket in Navi Mumbai offered very little to none, as the duo struggled against India’s opening batters Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, who combined for 104, the highest opening stand against South Africa in the tournament.

Understanding Kapp and Khaka’s threats with the new ball, Verma made an early decision to walk at the bowlers, hitting them for boundaries through the covers and the mid-wicket region.

With Khaka and Kapp having been unsuccessful, Nadine De Klerk and Nonkululeko Mlaba came on in the seventh and eighth over.

The pair kept India’s openers relatively quiet until after the first drinks break, where the openers started opening up and finding boundaries with ease.

South Africa’s first breakthrough came in the 18th over through Chloe Tryon. Tryon got the better of Mandhana, inducing the edge with a length ball, and Sinalo Jafta took a sharp catch behind the stumps.

Verma and India's heroine in the semi-final victory over Australia, Jemimah Rodrigues, looked crisp for their 62-run partnership. 

Anneke Bosch made it even easier for India, as she dropped Verma on 56 in the 21st over off the bowling of off-spinner Sune Luus. 

However, Khaka came back for her second spell and readjusted her lines, bowling straighter in her second shift. 

The right-armer broke the partnership, accounting for Verma (87) and Rodrigues (24) in back-to-back overs.

Mlaba also adjusted her approach in her second spell, bowling slower and got the reward as she bowled India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (24). 

De Klerk followed a similar trend, striking in her second spell as she caught and bowled Amanjot Kaur (12). 

With India nearing 300 runs in the final three overs, South Africa needed to be sharper in the field. However, Bosch dropped Richa Gosh off Kapp's tenth over.

However, Annerie Dercksen would hang on to her catch off Khaka's bowling in the mid-wicket boundary, removing the dangerous Gosh (34).

India posted 298 runs, the second-highest total in Women's ICC World Cup finals. Khaka finished as pick of the bowlers with 3/58, while Mlaba 1/47, De Klerk 1/52 and Tryon 1/47 chipped in. icc

ICC Women's World Cup Final

India: 298/7 (Shafali Verma 87; Deepti Sharma 58, Ayabonga Khaka 3/58)

South Africa needs 299 runs to win their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup