Career-best from courageous Kapp not enough for Proteas

Marizanne Kapp praised the Proteas women’s fighting spirit, but bemoaned some basic errors which cost them victory in the third T20 International against the World Cup holders Australia in Hobart on Tuesday. 

Kapp scored a career-best 75 in her 100th T20 International, but it proved insufficient as Australia successfully chased a target of 163, winning by five wickets with four balls to spare. It was a spirited effort by the Proteas, but Australia’s explosiveness and experience ultimately proved the difference. 

Beth Mooney, despite battling illness earlier in the day, scored 82 off just 55 balls, to keep Australia in control of the run chase. 

“There are very good signs. A few years ago we would have been bowled out for 80 to 100,” said Kapp. “Just the way that, throughout the series, the girls have fought back has been outstanding. We probably only had one ideal start, that was in the second game, so it is good to see how we have fought back with bat and ball.”

On Tuesday, the Proteas slipped to 28/3 in the fifth over after being asked to bat by Australian captain Alyssa Healy. One of those wickets was SA skipper Laura Wolvaardt who was quickly followed by Sune Luus, who was run out. 

That was one of the many mistakes SA made throughout a well contested match, but one in which errors, given the class of the opposition, were always going to be punished. 

Kapp started the fightback with the bat, dominating an 80-run fourth wicket partnership with Anneke Bosch, who made 21. The veteran all-rounder effectively punished the Australian bowlers every time they dropped the ball short, a ploy the hosts felt would keep SA in check. 

Against the lesser-experienced Bosch, the bouncers worked, and she struggled to increase her scoring rate throughout the innings. Kapp’s 75 took only 48 balls, and included 10 fours and a six.

Chloe Tryon with 26 off 16 balls and Nadine de Klerk with 20 off 11, got South Africa to a defendable total, though given Australia’s firepower it would demand efficiency with the ball and in the field. 

Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. While they were able to make regular incursions into the Australian batting, they were unable to remove the clinical Mooney, who struck 11 fours and a six in her innings. There were a few costly miss-fields, and some of the tactical execution was not up to standard. “Australia has a very good fielding team. No disrespect to other teams but you get away with making mistakes against other teams, whereas against Australia you realise very quickly that you have to be on the ball,” said Kapp.

The series is a multi-format one containing the three T20s, three ODIs and a Test match, with two points earned for each win. Australia’s victory on Tuesday gives them a 4-2 lead in the series ahead of the opening ODI in Adelaide on Saturday. Last Sunday’s win in the second T20 International, was the Proteas’ first against Australia, in any match.

“There were stages in the series where Australia were really on top of us and we really seemed to come back into the game, and then lost at the back end, like today,” said Kapp. “It’s a bit of a yo-yo at the moment. We are either doing things extremely well and then back off a bit, and with Australia you have to keep the pressure on them throughout the 20 overs.”