Thanks to stellar performances from spinner Seshnie Naidu and top-order batter Faye Tunnicliffe, Team South Africa secured their spot in the Women’s T20 Cricket semi-finals at the 13th Africa Games with a four-wicket victory against Nigeria at the Achimota Senior Secondary School in Accra on Sunday.
Team SA clinched the top spot in Group A as Naidu claimed outstanding figures of 4/13, complemented by a commendable 3/12 return from Kayla Reyneke, restricting Nigeria to 74 all out in 18.4 overs.
Tunnicliffe showcased her prowess, smashing eight fours in a 45-run knock off 34 balls as South Africa successfully chased down the 75-run target with 5.1 overs to spare, despite a spirited effort from Lillian Udeh, who claimed 5/18 in her four overs.
Opting to set a score after winning the toss, Nigeria had a solid start with openers Favour Eseigbe (17) and Esther Sandy (10) contributing to a 25/0 score after six overs.
The first breakthrough for South Africa came in the seventh over as SA Under-19 Women rising star Naidu found the outside edge of Sandy’s bat before quick thinking in the field between Nondumiso Shangase and Reyneke resulted in a run out of Eseigbe to leave Nigeria 43/2 after 10 overs.
Although Nigeria celebrated their 50 in the 11th over, Reyneke played another pivotal role in the fall of the next wicket as the Western Province spinning all-rounder clean-bowled Peculiar Agboya for a 20-ball 15.
With their tails up in the field, Team SA quickly picked up another trio of wickets with Shangase taking a diving catch to help Naidu claim her second of the match to remove Salome Sunday (5). This was before Reyneke made it three wickets for the game as she rearranged Blessing Etim’s furniture for four prior to having Christabel Chukwuonye (0) brilliantly caught by Tunnicliffe to leave Nigeria 68/6 after 16 overs.
It soon became seven down for Nigeria as Naidu added a further scalp to her two wickets with the dismissal of Sarah Etim (4), caught behind by Karabo Meso. Naidu then made it a memorable four-wicket haul after Udeh (0) skied a delivery for a comfortable catch for Tunnificlffe.
With Nigeria 71/8 after 17 overs, a run out of Adeshola Adekunie (1) by keeper Meso as well as the wicket of Usen Peace (0) by Shangase (1/13) brought an end to Nigeria’s innings.
Team SA began their innings with the early dismissal of Jemma Botha (0) through Udeh's bowling.
The experienced Tunnifcliffe and youngster Simone Lourens (6) then combined for 31 runs for the second wicket before Lourens was the next to fall for the Green and Gold, as South Africa ended their PowerPlay on 43/2, still needing 32 runs to win.
Tunnicliffe continued to play her role of protagonist for her side, with South Africa surpassing the 50-run mark before the tall right-hander finally departed in the 10th over at the hands of Peace (1/15), five runs short of a maiden Games half-century.
Team SA faced further setbacks as Udeh trapped Shangase (4) LBW, bowled Meso (0) and claimed Reyneke's (1) scalp with another leg-before decision to seal her fifer, leaving South Africa 66/6 in the 12th over.
Despite the valiant fight shown by Nigeria, Miané Smit (10*) and Leah Jones (4*) steered South Africa to a four-wicket triumph and a place in the semi-finals of the inaugural Women’s T20 Cricket event at the African Games.
At the end of the round-robin phase, Team SA topped Group A with four points, leading second-placed Nigeria by one point after Tanzania defeated Namibia by one wicket in the other group match.
South Africa will take on Kenya in the first semi-final on Monday at the same venue.
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