Proteas Women skipper Dane van Niekerk scored 95 as she kept her side in contention to win the series against the England Women.
Lizelle Lee, the star of the first two matches with scores of 117 and 92 not out, was trapped leg before for two by Anya Shrubsole, and Andrie Steyn followed leg before to Sophie Ecclestone for 19 to leave the Proteas struggling on 58-2 after 17 overs.
The 19-year-old opener Laura Wolvaardt knuckled down during a 103-run third-wicket partnership with her captain and she played a stabilising hand to score 64 off 100 balls (three fours).
Van Niekerk played her part by driving the advantage home in fine form, accelerating impressively through the innings. The Proteas’ first two fifties came off 94 and 93 balls respectively, after which Van Niekerk accelerated her team’s scoring to knock the third fifty off 45 balls and the fourth off just 41 balls as she cut loose.
Having passed her previous highest ODI score of 81, Van Niekerk had a maiden century within her grasp, before Katherine Brunt sent a ball down the leg-side which keeper Sarah Taylor snapped up on the half volley and whipped the bails off to send the skipper packing after a magnificent 95.
Van Niekerk faced 106 balls and hit 11 fours and one six, but it was the control of her innings that was so impressive and the manner in which she dominated the bowling. Although the Proteas Women have a lot of work to do leading up to the next World Cup, they most certainly have some high performers in their side.
The innings petered out after Van Niekerk’s departure, and England closed the innings out with a team hat-trick, with Mignon du Preez and Ayabonga Khaka both run out going for last-gasp singles, while Shabnim Ismail was stumped by the impressive Taylor, who took her 48th ODI stumping.
All out for 228 after 49.5 overs, South Africa might rue their failure to reach a more competitive 260… but the old adage applies that they have the runs on the board and now it’s up to England to guts it out and take the win in the face of the Proteas strike force of Marizanne Kapp, Khaka and Ismail.
Photo: Sarah Ansell/Getty Images
