By Mahendra Ratnaweera for Srilankasports.com
Despite a galant chase of a near 350 and going down by 23 runs to India in the fifth match of the triangular, South African women seem certain to bow out of the tournament after their final game on Friday.
Annerie Dercksen with an 80 ball 81 with five fours and two sixes and her partnership of 72 in under 10 overs with wicket keeper Sinalo Jafta kept their hopes alive in their quest to chalk up their first victory in the tournament. The acting captain Chloe Tryon led the lower order charge with a quick 67 in the face of clever bowling and astute changes in the attack deployed by their rival captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
India’s main bowling weapon Sneh Rana who had bagged 11 wickets in the previous three games though left wicket less today put the skids under South African batters. She conceded just 33 off seven overs when all others had conceded free runs to the rival batters as they tend to accelerate to record the much needed win.
When India batted it was the sheer class of the talented Jemima Rodrigues. Her classy 123 off 101 balls was studded with fifteen fours and a six while Deepthi Sharma ever the livewire blasted 93 off 84 balls with ten fours and two sixes.
Smrti Mandhana who had a lean series by her own standards was rock solid in making 51 with six fours, importantly steadying the ship when India had lost 3 quick wickets by 50 in the tenth over.
The hosts Sri Lanka plays South Africa in the last game before the final on May 11.
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