The Proteas women’s team look a formidable unit in 50-over cricket with senior players taking responsibility and winning games for South Africa, but there are pieces of the puzzle still missing.
The hosts have a strong hold on the ODI series trophy having started with a dominant performance in Potchefstroom to leave New Zealand women with a mountain to climb in order turn the things around.
The White Ferns are coming off a series loss in Sri Lanka and now have gone into another tough tour of South Africa, with the hosts high in confidence having won a series in Pakistan earlier this month.
The visitors suffered a four-wicket defeat on Sunday as South Africa women continued to take significant strides in becoming a potent ODI unit.
Incremental improvements
The key to the Proteas women’s success is the incremental improvements the team continues to make. Be it with bat or ball in hand, the side just keeps producing improved performances.
On the batting front, the top-order is in full flow, with interim captain Laura Wolvaardt leading from the front and experienced heads in Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp also scoring big runs for the country.
Perhaps the most glaring improvement South Africa have enjoyed is the form of all-rounder Nadine de Klerk with both bat and ball.
De Klerk has certainly turned a corner in her career especially with bat in hand, and with the return of Chloe Tryon in the lower order, South Africa’s batting unit looks stronger and longer.
Perhaps where the team is yet to improve is in the number three spot in the batting line-up.
Lara Goodall has occupied that spot this season and has a top-score of 36 in four ODIs.
As the South African captain Wolvaardt mentioned in the build-up to the ongoing series, the team is in search of its best possible performance.
Should Goodall turn things around somewhere along the series, the team looks an even greater threat to every team in the world.
Two matches remain in the ODI series with the Pietermaritzburg Oval and Kingsmead Stadium scheduled to host the two games.