MATCH REPORT
Follow UsFollowing their shock defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup, hosts South Africa bounced back to beat New Zealand by 65 runs at Boland Park, Paarl.
It was a struggle for South Africa right from the beginning, having lost opener Tazmin Brits (1) and Marizanne Kapp (9) early, before skipper Sune Luus (22) injected some momentum into the batting.
However, it was a composed 34-ball 40 by Chloe Tyron and her vital 47-run stand for the sixth wicket with Nadine de Klerk (28*) that eventually took the Proteas to a respectable 132 for 6.
In reply, the White Ferns lost their openers for a duck for the second game in a row to put themselves on the back foot right awa, with left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba removing both of them in her first two overs.
New Zealand did not let South Africa off the hook after that as they kept striking at regular intervals. Skipper Sophie Devine, who was picked for INR 50 lakh at the Women's Premier League (WPL) auction by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday (February 13), top-scored for the team with a painstaking 26-ball 16.
Mlaba finished with 3 for 10, while Kapp (2 for 13) and Tyron (2 for 12) too were among the wickets. New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 67, which is even worse than their effort in the first game that saw them being cleaned up for 76 by Australia.
Brief scores:
South Africa Women 132 for 6 in 20 overs (Chloe Tyron 40, Nadine de Klerk 28*; Eden Carson 2 for 23) beat New Zealand Women 67 (Sophie Devine 16, Jess Kerr 11; Nonkululeko Mlaba 3 for 10) by 65 runs
Player of the match: Chloe Tyron
England overcome Ireland challenge
Ireland pushed England till the end after setting them a target of 106. Sophie Ecclestone (3 for13) and Sarah Glenn (3 for 19) starred with the ball for England as they cleaned up the Irish team in just 18.2 overs.
England were in command at the end of the powerplay at 69 for 1, thanks to a 21-ball fifty by 18-year-old Alice Capsey. Capsey had an excellent day in the WPL auction as well, as Delhi Capitals (DC) secured her services for INR 75 lakh.
However, she was dismissed second ball after the powerplay for 51 off just 22 deliveries not before setting the record for the joint-fastest fifty in a Women's T20 World Cup.
Her wicket gave Ireland an opening as England collapsed from 70 for 1 to 103 for 6. However, with not many runs on the board, England made it home with four wickets and 34 balls to spare.
22-year-old leg-spinner Cara Murray with figures of 3 for 15 led the way with the ball for Ireland, but in the end was not enough. With this win, England make it two in two in the tournament, having beaten West Indies in their first game. They will take on India on at St George's Park, Gqeberha on February 18 next.
Ireland, on the other hand, will play Pakistan at Newlands, Cape Town, on Wednesday (February 15) in a bid to get off the mark in the tournament.
Brief scores:
Ireland Women 105 in 18.2 overs (Gaby Lewis 36, Orla Prendergast 15; Sophie Ecclestone 3 for 13) lost to England Women 107 for 6 in 14.2 overs (Alice Capsey 51, Danielle Wyatt 16; Cara Murray 3 for 15) by 4 wickets
Player of the match: Alice Capsey
