On the third day of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, South Africa Women created history after beating the England Women for the first time in this entire tournament history.
It was their first game in the ongoing edition which they played at the WACA (Perth) on last Sunday (23rd February). After winning the toss in that Group B match, South Africa Women restricted the England Women to 123/8 (20 overs) in the first innings. Later, the South African team beat the English side after successfully chasing down that target in 19.4 overs after losing four wickets (127/4).
England Women batting: Natalie Sciver scored a half-century
English team struggled from the beginning of their innings as only three batters reached the double-digit marks in that innings. While the opener Amy Jones scored 23 runs, Natalie Sciver was the only positive batter in that innings as she scored 50 off 41 balls (5 fours and only six). The only other double-digit scorer in that innings was Fran Wilson (14).
While the right-arm medium pacer Ayabonga Khaka (3/25) picked up three wickets, the couples Marizanne Kapp (2/19) and Dane van Niekerk (2/20) took two wickets each.
South Africa Women batting: Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp played crucial knocks
In reply, once again the captain and opener Dane van Niekerk controlled the situation with Marizanne Kapp after the other opener Lizelle Lee (4) was dismissed cheaply. Niekerk and Kapp built up the 84 runs partnership for the second wicket.
While Kapp scored 38 runs, the Player of the Match award winner Niekerk played the knock of 46 runs. Though both were dismissed in quick succession, the next players helped to score the remaining runs with two balls to spare.
In the final over, South Africa needed to score nine runs to win that match. Mignon du Preez (18*) finished the game with a sixer and a boundary on the third and fourth of that final over.
While it was their fourth meeting in the Women’s T20 World Cup history, South Africa Women claimed their first victory against the England Women. In the T20I history, South Africa Women beat England Women for two more times before this match.