Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Mlaba takes three-fer as South Africa keeps semifinal hopes alive with 80-run win against Scotland

Scotland, playing in its first World Cup, was never in the chase and slumped to 86 all out in 17.5 overs to be eliminated from the tournament after three successive defeats.

South Africa openers Laura Wolvaardt (40 off 27 balls) and Tazmin Brits (43 off 35 balls) started off brilliantly, posting a 64-run stand for the first wicket against Scotland. | Photo Credit: ICC/X

South Africa produced a superb all-round performance to thrash Scotland by 80 runs in its Group B match at the Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Wednesday.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, South Africa chalked up a tournament high 166-5 in its 20 overs with captain Laura Wolvaardt (40), Tazmin Brits (43) and Marizanne Kapp (43) all feasting on some weak bowling and poor fielding.

Scotland, playing in its first World Cup, was never in the chase and slumped to 86 all out in 17.5 overs to be eliminated from the tournament after three successive defeats.

“We felt the best chance to win the game was to put a lot of runs on the board and restrict them,” said Wolvaardt. “We wanted to be ruthless and show what we are about and kill it off the way we did.”

The win lifts South Africa, beaten by Australia in the final of the 2023 edition, to the top of Group B while Scotland, who had already lost to Bangladesh and West Indies, remains bottom.

Scotland made life hard for itself, dropping a simple chance when Wolvaardt was on just two.

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The skipper made her opponents pay as she clubbed five fours and a six in her 27-ball 40 which took her past Lizelle Lee’s 1,896 runs to become South Africa’s top-scorer in T20I cricket.

She fell to a fine catch by Olivia Bell but Scotland again blotted its copybook with another bad drop which reprieved Anneke Bosch on three.

Brits hit five fours and a six in her 43 while Kapp smashed her 43 off just 23 balls, enough to give her the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

“I was a little bit nervous at the start,” she said. “(We) knew the wicket was going to be slow. it played a lot slower than our first game. Luckily, it came off.”

The Scotland reply never got going, only Katherine Fraser (14) and Ailsa Lister (12) making it into double figures.

Nonkululeko Mlaba was the most succesful of the South African bowlers, picking up 3-12 in her four overs, while fellow left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon (2-22) became the first bowler to take two caught and bowleds in a women’s T20I.

South Africa plays its final group game against Bangladesh in Dubai on Saturday, knowing that a win will give it a great chance of reaching the semifinals.

“Massive game for us, we need a win,” said Wolvaardt. “This will give us a lot of confidence and hopefully we can hit the ground running for that game.”