Kapp guides Momentum Proteas home again
Another all-round performance from Marizanne Kapp saw the
Momentum Proteas to a two wicket win over hosts New Zealand at the ICC Women’s
World Cup in Hamilton on Thursday.
Kapp starred with both the bat and the ball again as the Proteas claimed their fourth win of the competition which sets them up well heading into their final three round robin games before the semi-finals are confirmed.
Kapp’s 34 not out off 35 balls outshone Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus who both registered half centuries in the chase of 229.
Wolvaardt scored her third consecutive half century of this year’s World Cup when she made a vital 67 while captain Luus scored her second fifty of the tournament, making 51 as the Proteas were cruising at 161 for two.
They then slumped to 170 for five which put them on the back seat before Kapp and Chloe Tryon put together 28 runs to take them just shy of 200 before Tryon fell for 14.
🚨 RESULT | #MomentumProteas WIN BY 2 WICKETS
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) March 17, 2022
🇿🇦 Another tense encounter comes to an end with the #MomentumProteas re-writing the history books as they secure their first-ever victory over New Zealand at a World Cup
📷 ICC/Getty#NZvSA #CWC22 #BePartOfTheForce #AlwaysRising pic.twitter.com/2gx7YeEcRQ
From 198 for five they then had another slump and were 217 for eight with Trisha Chetty and Shabnim Ismail in back in the pavilion, however Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, who made two, got them over the line with three balls to spare.
Earlier, Kapp took two for 44 while Ismail bagged three for 27 and Khaka again contributed significantly with the ball taking three for 31.
The batting line-up hasn’t quite fired, and the coach and captain Sune Luus have both said they are still waiting for that perfect game. Luus isn’t going to put pressure on the players that might be battling if they are winning.
“We can always do better, and some players can always contribute more but I think that with the likes of Tazmin (Brits) she showed us what she can do against England in the last game and Mignon (Du Preez) is a class player.
“We know it only takes Mignon one knock to get back on top of her game and with 150 games under her belt there is huge experience that comes with that.
“They are not far off some big scores and contributing to the team and hopefully playing Australia next they can come good.”
The Momentum Proteas now face their biggest test of the tournament, they face the only other unbeaten side Australia on Tuesday.
The victory takes the Momentum Proteas to four consecutive wins over New Zealand in ODI cricket since 2020. Before that the Proteas had won just two of the previous thirteen 50 over matches between the two countries.
