Bosch and Nini power Proteas Women to opening win in Zim
Anneke Bosch and Nthabiseng Nini were the stars of the day as the Proteas Women recorded a convincing six-wicket triumph against Zimbabwe in the first T20 International (T20I) in Bulawayo on Friday, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Nini delivered a Player of the Match performance on her international debut, returning figures of 3/17 in 3.3 overs to help dismiss the hosts for 116, before Bosch recorded a career-best T20I score of 83 off 43 balls (11x4, 3x6) to guide South Africa to victory.
Earlier, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat. The home side experienced a stuttering start, with the Proteas applying pressure through early wickets. Nini became the second Proteas Women player after Chloé Tryon to claim a wicket with her first ball in international cricket, removing opener Nyasha Gwanzura (3).
The debutant struck again four balls later, ripping through Kelis Ndhlovu’s (0) defence before a wicket from Eliz-Mari Marx (1/9) and a third scalp for Nini helped restrict Zimbabwe to 12/4 in the fourth over.
The hosts recovered well to advance to 33/4 at the end of the PowerPlay, with top-scorer Modeste Mupachikwa (36) and Beloved Biza (13) adding a stabilising 35-run stand for the fifth wicket before another breakthrough in the eighth over from Kayla Reyneke (3/29). Despite losing her partner, Mupachikwa continued to lead from the front for the Lady Chevrons, combining to great effect with Michelle Mavunga (21) to propel Zimbabwe to 81/5 before Annerie Dercksen (2/15) dismissed the latter.
With Mupachikwa still at the crease, the hosts brought up three figures before Reyneke picked up another wicket in the 18th over to remove the in-form batter. Captain Nomvelo Sibanda added an important 15 runs to the scorecard before further wickets from Reyneke and Dercksen brought the Zimbabwean innings to a close on 117 all out in the final over.
In reply, South Africa lost their skipper Laura Wolvaardt (6) to Gwanzura (2/19) halfway through the second over. That did little to slow down the visitors as Bosch and Nondumiso Shangase (18) guided South Africa to a positive start, reaching the end of the powerplay on 45/1.
The pair soon celebrated their 50-run stand for the second wicket, with Bosch taking the game to the home side. The 33-year-old then raised her bat for a sixth career T20I half-century as the Proteas Women raced towards the target, before Loreen Tshuma (1/11) broke the 68-run partnership, leaving the away side on 75/2 at the halfway mark.
Despite two more wickets for Zimbabwe, with Mavunga (1/10) and Gwanzura removing Faye Tunnicliffe (1) and danger woman Bosch late in the chase, South Africa arrived at the target with 41 balls remaining to seal an emphatic six-wicket win.
The second T20I will get underway on Sunday at the Queens Sports Club, with the action streamed live on Cricket South Africa’s YouTube page from 1.30pm.
Proteas Women’s T20I Squad against Zimbabwe
Laura Wolvaardt (captain, Fidelity Titans), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Annerie Dercksen (Garden Route Badgers), *Jae-Leigh Filander (Western Province Cobras), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Eliz-Mari Marx (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World Lions), Seshnie Naidu (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Nthabiseng Nini (Warriors), *Luyanda Nzuza (Fidelity Titans), Kayla Reyneke (Western Province Cobras), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Miané Smit (Fidelity Titans), Faye Tunnicliffe (Western Province Cobras) and Caitlin Wyngaard (Fidelity Titans)
*Uncapped
Fixtures and Results
Friday, 11 September - Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (1.30pm) - SA won by six wickets
Sunday, 13 September - Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (1.30pm)
Tuesday, 15 September - Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (1.30pm)
Thursday, 17 September - Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (1.30pm)
Saturday, 19 September - Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (1.30pm)
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