Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk found welcome form with match-winning performances in the lastest round of the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia.

Kapp took 3-9 off four overs to help hold Perth Scorchers to a weak offering of 107. The Sydney Sixers were halfway there when Kapp came to the crease, and she had the freedom to smack 17 off 19, the major contributor to a stand of 21 for the third wicket.

Her batting has yet to emerge in full force as she moves up and down the order to find her best position, but her medium-pacers have been well controlled: 1-7 0ff three (v Sydney Thunder) and 1-8 off four (v Melbourne Stars) being prime examples.

Van Niekerk came to the fore in the match against the Brisbane Heat, where she took 4-20 off her four overs, helping to restrict the home side to 110. Once again opening the batting, she weighed in with 26 off 22 balls, giving her team  a solid opening start of 52 off eight overs, alongside New Zealand’s Rachel Priest.

It was a welcome return to form after a bit of a slump. Since her 45 off 44 in the second game, Van Niekerk had scores of 15 and seven as she struggled against the new ball. But it was far and away her best bowling performance.

Jacques Kallis, meanwhile, was a bemused spectator as Kevin Pietersen produced one of his trademark innings, slamming 74 off 42 balls (5×4), 6×6) for the Melbourne Stars. But Kallis’s Sydney Thunder won by one run, to which he contributed nine off eight balls and took 1-34.