The Proteas have put themselves in a favourable position to advance to the final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, having become one of the teams to beat following their impressive recent run of form at the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
South Africa swiftly turned the corner after they were humiliated by England in their opening match, where they were 69 runs all out, and lost the game by 10 wickets.
However, the heavy defeat was somewhat a blessing in disguise and an eye-opener, as coach Mandla Mashimbyi’s side produced five wins on the trot before their final group stage match against Australia yesterday.
They now set their sights on their semifinal clash against England on Wednesday, with the hope that they will continue their fine form and book their place in the grand finale at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai on Sunday.
Despite it being a team effort for the Proteas to find themselves in the position that they are in, some players stood out, and at some point, single-handedly carried the team to winning some tight matches.
The likes of star spin bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba, captain Laura Wolvaardt, all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp and veteran Tazmin Brits.
“We were very disappointed with that performance against England, because we felt like leading up to this World Cup, our preparation had been excellent,” Kapp said after her player of the match performance against Pakistan last week.
“But luckily, we turned it around very quickly.
I think that’s due to our goals and the effort we’ve put in behind the scenes.
“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More players are beginning to connect and deliver outstanding performances.”
