Courageous skipper has Stars in good health

A determined Meg Lanning has fought off an inopportune bout of gastro to help the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars survive a serious scare against South Africa in their World T20 opener in Nagpur.

The captain missed the toss and half of South Africa's innings as she battled the effects of the sudden illness but eventually strode out at No.6 to join Alex Blackwell in an unbeaten, match-winning partnership that saw Australia reach their target of 103 with six wickets and nine balls to spare.

Lanning's illness struck just as she was heading out for the coin toss at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. Heading to the centre, Lanning suddenly hunched over at the side of the field and was taken ill. She returned to the rooms and vice-captain Blackwell was forced to take her place.

While Lanning recovered to take the field for the first half of South Africa's innings, she was again forced from the field for the last 35 minutes of their knock, meaning she was unable to bat for the equivalent time in Australia's innings.

WATCH: Extended highlights of Australia's win

Her return proved timely as her team faltered in pursuit of their target.

Spin had been expected to play a major role in Nagpur it was Proteas quicks Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp who left Australia in disarray, tearing through the top-order to leave them at 3-9.

Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani had shared a 70-run partnership in Australia's warm-up, but the batting demons that haunted them through the summer returned as South Africa's quicks tore through the top-order.

Healy fell to fiery quick Ismail for five, while Ellyse Perry followed the next over, out for a duck courtesy of Kapp.

Ismail struck again to have Villani chopping on for four, leaving Australia reeling.

With Lanning not yet permitted to bat due to her time spent off the field, it fell to Blackwell and Jess Jonassen to rebuild.

They shared a 44-run stand that kept the Southern Stars in touch with the run rate, until Jonassen was stumped advancing down to pitch to Dane van Niekerk.

Her dismissal brought Lanning to the crease with the Southern Stars 4-53, and no upset stomach was going to be enough to keep the skipper from doing whatever it took to rescue her team.

WATCH: Stars will take confidence from win: Blackwell

In no mood for an extended stay at the crease she quickly made her intentions clear, striking a boundary off the fourth ball she faced.

She found the boundary five times in her unbeaten 30 from 19 balls, bringing her team back from the brink of disaster.

Also crucial was the innings of Blackwell, who may not have battled illness but did battle some extremely good Proteas bowling in her 38 not out from 45 deliveries.

Earlier, a strong bowling performance backed up by some excellent fielding had helped the Southern Stars peg South Africa back after a promising start, restricting them to 7-102.

The Southern Stars had looked to their southpaws with the new ball, with left-arm spinner Jonassen and quick Lauren Cheatle tying the Proteas down early, but Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty broke the shackles with 26 runs from the fifth and sixth overs.

South Africa's openers frustrated the Southern Stars for 12.5 overs, finding it easy to rotate the strike on a pitch that was providing nowhere near as much assistance for the spinners as seen in New Zealand's men's clash with India earlier in the week.

However it was spin that found the breakthrough, with Kristen Beams forcing a mistimed reverse sweep from van Niekerk that was snaffled by Rene Farrell via a brilliant diving catch, ending the 72-run opening stand.

Her dismissal triggered a collapse of 6-26, with South Africa unable to capitalise on their promising start, failing to score a boundary after the 11th over.

Lizelle Lee was promoted to No.3 but the move didn't pay off when she was bowled by Perry for 1, while Chetty (34), Kapp (1), Sune Luus (2) and Dinesha Devnarain (0) all followed in quick succession, as Jess Jonassen, Erin Osborne and Sarah Coyte added to Australia's collection of excellent catches.

After the initial dismissal it was the quicks who shared the spoils for Australia, Lauren Cheatle and Perry taking 2-13 apiece.

The Southern Stars will remain in Nagpur for their second World T20 clash, against an in-form New Zealand side coming off emphatic wins against Sri Lanka and Ireland.

The Southern Stars struck 11 boundaries against South Africa, taking their #Runs4Rio pledge tally to $550.