Laura Wolvaardt delivered a match-defining knock in the final T20I against India, striking an unbeaten 92 off 56 balls to steer South Africa to a comprehensive 4-1 series win. With the contest already a dead rubber, India rested vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and also left out Shreyanka Patil and Kashvee Gautam, but South Africa still set themselves up for control on a slow Benoni track. After reaching 49 without loss in the opening six overs—Wolvaardt contributing 44 from 25 deliveries—they kept finding boundaries, even as the fielding restrictions eased, and ultimately posted enough to defend.
South Africa set the pace in Benoni
Choosing to bat first on a sluggish surface, South Africa looked comfortable from the outset despite the conditions. Wolvaardt’s timing and shot selection kept the innings moving, and she reached key milestones as the innings progressed.
- South Africa were 49/0 after 6 overs, with Wolvaardt scoring 44 off 25 balls.
- Wolvaardt reached her 30-ball half-century in the ninth over.
- Even after fielding restrictions loosened, she continued to punish the Indian bowlers.
Key wickets and a steady finish
India did make inroads, but their breakthrough moments came alongside periods where South Africa were allowed to keep scoring. Sune Luus survived a few dangerous phases thanks to missed chances in the field. Shree Charani eventually struck to break the opening stand, removing Luus, and then followed that with the dismissal of Tazmin Brits in the 11th over. Deepti Sharma then continued the wicket run, getting Annerie Dercksen out for a four-ball duck in the following over.
As wickets accumulated, the scoring rate eased slightly, yet Wolvaardt kept pushing for runs from one end. India also struck in the 16th over when Deepti dismissed Anneka Bosch for just eight off 11 balls, and Renuka Singh delivered a double-wicket 18th over to add pressure. Still, the innings ended with momentum: Sinalo Jafta and Wolvaardt combined to hammer 29 runs off the final two overs, and Wolvaardt sealed the chase-free total with two sixes in her finishing burst.
India’s chase falters despite brief rebuilding
In reply, India suffered early setbacks that blunted any chance of a fast start. Shafali Varma fell in the third over, followed by the dismissal of Jemimah Rodrigues in the fourth, leaving the visitors struggling to settle. Harmanpreet Kaur and Anushka Sharma tried to rebuild, but their 17-run stand came off 24 balls and didn’t convert into meaningful acceleration during the Powerplay.
- India lost Shafali Varma in the third over and Jemimah Rodrigues in the fourth.
- Harmanpreet Kaur and Anushka Sharma added 17 runs together from 24 balls.
- Nonkululeko Mlaba removed Harmanpreet in the 13th over.
- Richa Ghosh hit 25* off 15 balls, but the innings lost shape after Bharti Fulmali’s departure in the 16th over.
Late collapse seals the result
Bharti Fulmali attempted to inject urgency, but it wasn’t enough to halt the slide. India’s situation worsened from 99/5 to 119/8, with Ghosh left to fight largely on her own. In the end, India were unable to close the gap and finished 23 runs short of the target, handing South Africa a 23-run win and confirming the series outcome in their favour.
Brief scores
- South Africa Women: 155/6 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 92*; Renuka Singh Thakur 2-21, Shree Charani 2-22).
- India Women: 132/8 in 20 overs (Bharti Fulmali 40; Nonkululeko Mlaba 2-15, Nadine de Klerk 2-26).
Result: South Africa Women won by 23 runs.
