The Proteas chased down a 252-run target in 48.5 overs thanks to the outstanding performance of Nadine de Klerk, who batted at No. 8 and hammered an undefeated 84 off 54 balls. On Thursday, October 9, South Africa defeated India in an exciting Women’s World Cup match at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
At 81/5, South Africa was in serious trouble, but a 61-run partnership between captain Laura Wolvaardt (70) and Chloe Tryon saved the day. Even when the former was rejected, South Africa was still far from their goal. To give the Proteas a chance at a historic victory, Nadine de Klerk and Tryon put together a 69-run partnership off 60 balls. De Klerk had the responsibility of leading her side to victory after the latter left for a tough 49. With a 41-run partnership with Ayabonga Khaka, she went crazy in the last overs, scoring 39 runs off just 15 balls to give the tourists an incredible victory.
Nadine de Klerk stated she couldn’t think of anything to say after her exploits. She acknowledged that in their home environment, South Africa needed to perform at their peak in order to defeat a formidable Indian team.
“I can’t think of anything.” We have performed admirably over the past several days, but finishing the game boosts our confidence. I enjoy pressure and World Cups; we had to perform at our highest level to defeat India at home. We needed a victory like this to prove that we are also capable. We are a strong team in the final ten overs, so we knew we had to go this far. Even if we need 7-8 runs per over, we are still in the game,” Nadine de Klerk stated during the post-match presentation.
Chloe relieved my burden by batting exceptionally well: Nadine De Klerk
Tryon relieved her of some of the strain, according to the renowned all-rounder. She stated that it is her responsibility to bat at number eight in order to complete games. Among women’s ODI cricket players batting at No. 8 or lower, Nadine de Klerk recorded the second-highest score. Curiously, Richa Ghosh scored the most runs from this position during the first innings of play. Earlier in the innings, India was reduced to 153/7, but her 94 off 77 balls enabled them to 251.
“Chloe relieved me of the pressure with her excellent batting performance. Coming out at number eight and finishing off games is a natural part of my job in the team. Today was a terrific wicket. We’ll take a few days off and think about this; even if we won, there’s still a lot to learn,” she continued.
India
