SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN TOUR OF WEST INDIES, 2018

Lee, Wolvaardt keep SA Women in the hunt to share series honours

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

Lee scored a 38-ball 54 - smashing five fours and three sixes along the way © Getty

Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt ensured South Africa Women wouldn't concede their five-match T20I series against Windies without taking it to the final fixture, as they came together for an 89-run first-wicket stand in a successful run-chase.

Windies went into the fixture with an unassailable 2-0 lead and the chance to wrap up the series, but their batters let them down. Despite Natasha Mclean's enterprising 61-ball 57 - that was laced with five fours and two sixes - and her strong second-wicket partnership with Stefanie Taylor, Windies were tied down to 135 for 3 in 20 overs.

Medium pacer Tumi Sekhukhune picked two out of the three wickets to fall, but it was Marizanne Kapp's exceptional three overs inside the powerplay - worth six runs - that set the tone early in the game. Kapp would later return to finish with exceptional figures of 4-0-13-0.

South Africa addressed a major concern at the top of the order with the bat, as Lee and Wolvaardt started with a sense of caution before going after Shamilia Connell in the fifth over and paving the way for a more fluent partnership. From 18/0 in 4 overs, South Africa blitzed their way to 60/0 in 7, putting the pressure on the Windies bowlers.

It wasn't until the 12th over when the partnership was broken, but by then the openers had already snared more than half the target, of which Lee scored a 38-ball 54 - smashing five fours and three sixes along the way. Even after her exit, Wolvaardt kept going and got to the half-century mark herself.

Even as Sune Luus was sent on her way back in the 19th over, South Africa Women crossed the line with eight wickets and 10 balls to spare.

Brief Scores: South Africa Women 136/2 in 18.4 overs (Sune Luus 54, Laura Wolvaardt 54; Afy Fletched 1-12) beat Windies Women135/3 in 20 overs (Natasha McLean 57*; Tumi Sekhukhune 2-27) by 8 wickets

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