Wolvaardt, Luus deliver a masterclass for Proteas Women against Ireland

Laura Wolvaardt blasted a career-best century while Suné Luus shone with an all-round performance to help the Proteas Women to a dominant 105-run triumph over Ireland in the first T20 International (T20I) at the World Sports Betting Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Friday.

Wolvaardt scored an unbeaten 115 off just 56 balls, including 15 fours and four sixes in a record 176-run stand with Luus, who dispatched 12 boundaries, including one maximum, on her way to a personal best 81 off 51 balls to push South Africa to their highest T20I total of 220/2.

Luus then continued her bright day, this time with ball in hand, picking up leading figures of 4/22 in her four overs to spearhead the hosts’ clinical display in the field to dismiss their Irish counterparts for 115 all out inside 18 overs.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Proteas Women suffered an early setback when Jane Maguire (1/52) found the edge of opener Faye Tunnicliffe (1) in the second over. That wicket did little to deter the experienced South African side, as Wolvaardt, coming in at three, joined forces with Luus to take the game away from the visitors.

Wolvaardt ignited the scoring with a blistering start, racing to the fastest half-century by a Proteas Women player after reaching the milestone in just 24 balls. While the captain was finding boundaries with ease at one end, Luus started to accelerate towards her own fifty, with the home side going at a rate of 10 runs an over.

Wolvaardt went on to bring up her second T20I hundred, before Ireland finally made the breakthrough by removing Luus in the 18th over off the bowling of Ava Canning (1/33) to end South Africa’s highest T20I partnership and leave the home side 180/2 .

With the skipper looking to finish strong, she was joined by the returning former captain, Dané van Niekerk, who played her role perfectly with a quickfire 21*, as the Proteas surged to a mammoth 220/2 after 20 overs.

In Ireland’s chase, the tourists experienced a stuttering start as Luus claimed two wickets in the first over, sending Amy Hunter (1) and Orla Prendergast (2) back to the dugout to reduce them to 4/2.

A 42-run stand between captain Gaby Lewis (30) and Leah Paul (34) offered brief resistance, lifting Ireland to 46/2 by the eighth over before Chloé Tryon (2/14) broke through by removing Lewis. Paul soon became the fourth wicket to fall, as Nondumiso Shangase (1/13) chipped in to restrict the Irish to 77/4.

With key batters back in the hut, Ireland’s resistance waned as Luus, Tryon and Nonkululeko Mlaba (2/9) shared the remaining six wickets between them for just 38 runs to bowl out Ireland for 115 and seal an emphatic win with 12 balls to spare.

Proteas Women Squad - T20I Series

Laura Wolvaardt (Captain, Fidelity Titans), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World Lions), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Seshnie Naidu (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Nondumiso Shangase (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions), Faye Tunnicliffe (World Sports Betting Western Province) and Dané van Niekerk (World Sports Betting Western Province).

Fixtures

T20I Series

Friday - First T20I at 2pm @ WSB Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town - SA won by 105 runs

Sunday - Second T20I at 2pm @ Boland Park, Paarl

Wednesday - Third T20I at 6pm @ Willowmoore Park, Benoni