Nadine de Klerk smashed 40 runs off the last 19 balls she faced, guiding her team to a remarkable victory.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt was stunned by her teammate’s effort after Nadine de Klerk delivered perhaps the most spectacular lower-order innings ever produced by a Proteas women’s player, carrying her team to a three-wicket win in a thrilling clash against hosts India at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Thursday.
Chasing a target of 252 runs to win in Visakhapatnam, opener Wolvaardt kept her team in the game, making 70 runs as the side’s other specialist batters crumbled around her.
And after the skipper was removed in the 36th over, all-rounders Chloe Tryon (49 off 66) and De Klerk (84 not out off 54) put up a tremendous fight down the order, sharing 69 runs for the seventh wicket.
Tryon was dismissed in the 46th over, but De Klerk picked up the momentum in her absence with a remarkable effort under pressure, guiding her team to 252/7 with seven balls to spare.
She smashed 40 runs off the last 19 balls she faced, including five sixes, achieving a record ODI scorer by a No 8 batter for the Proteas women.
“It was incredible. I don’t think I have seen something like that in all my career. That was a special innings and I’m still at a loss for words,” Wolvaardt said.
Calm under pressure
Though their team were left searching for a miracle when De Klerk and Tryon started their partnership, De Klerk said they had always felt confident that they could carry the Proteas over the line.
“When Chloe and I were batting together we just said we wanted to take it deep and we felt like if the two of us were still batting at the back end (of the innings) we backed ourselves to get 10 runs an over in the last four or five overs,” said De Klerk, who was named Player of the Match.
“So it was just about being positive, taking the smart options and still trying to put their bowlers under pressure.”
With their second win in three matches at the Women’s Cricket World Cup, South Africa climbed to fourth place in the league standings with four points.
The national team will play their next league stage match against Bangladesh in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
