Proteas Women take on Windies in third ODI as World Cup preparations continue

Johannesburg – Although disappointed at the outcome in the second One-Day International against the West Indies, the Proteas women’s team feels that they remain on track as far as the build up to the World Cup is concerned.

In just over a month, South Africa starts its campaign in that tournament by facing Bangladesh in Dunedin, and the current series against a motivated West Indies side, has helped to reacquaint the players with the demands of international cricket after months without playing and an extended period of training.

Stafanie Taylor’s team has played with a level of intensity that surprised the South Africans while Deandra Dottin’s explosive knocks at the top of the innings have put the home team under pressure. However that is exactly what the Proteas would have wanted.

It’s allowed them to get the competitive juices flowing. “I feel that as a team the intensity was there and even though we were behind, the positivity remained there to ensure we got as close as we could to getting it over the line,” wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta said on Wednesday.

Monday’s match ended in a tie, with South Africa’s bowlers, led by a maiden ‘five-for’ from Ayabonga Khaka, defending a below-par total of 160. Dottin then dominated the ‘super over’ to get the West Indies a win, but just that level of fight was enough to lift South Africa’s spirits.

This series is very much an experimental one for the Proteas, with captain Sune Luus emphasising the importance of testing new combinations. In the absence of Dane Van Niekerk, who won’t go to the World Cup because of a broken foot, Lizelle Lee with Covid and for the first two matches of the series, Marizanne Kapp with a shoulder niggle, examining new combinations is understandable.

Jafta