Tazmin Brits hammered her way to the biggest score of this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup so far, as she powered the Proteas to a massive 209/1 in their 20 overs batting first against the Netherlands in their pool match at the County Ground in Bristol on Thursday night.
Brits cracked an unbeaten 114 off 69 balls, launching three sixes and 15 fours, and the impressive total was built on a 121-run opening stand in 13.3 overs with captain Laura Wolvaardt, 45 off 36 balls (6x4).
But it was the finishing flourish along with Annerie Dercksen, who clubbed two sixes and three fours in her unbeaten 16-ball 37, that saw the Proteas launch 82 runs off the last 36 balls of the innings, to power over the 200-run mark.
Brits and Wolvaardt got the Proteas off to the best possible start with their biggest powerplay of the tournament so far, as they raced to 66/0, which included 17 coming off the fifth over from Silver Siegers, putting them well on top.
Netherlands fought back well in the middle overs, led by spinner Caroline de Lange, who conceded just 15 in her three overs in that period, with her also incredibly unlucky to not get Brits out, as she just got her bat back to survive a stumping, and was dropped on 46 off her.
But the Proteas still ticked along nicely and even when Wolvaardt perished in the 14th over, edging Hannah Landheer to keeper Babette de Leede, they were sitting pretty on 126/1 by the end of it.
The final six overs saw the Proteas accelerate, with Brits leading the charge, as she climbed into Frederique Overdijk 15th over, taking 16 off it, and then brought up her hundred in style in the 18th, snashing Landheer over wide long on for six, while Dercksen also got in on the action with a six as 14 came off the over.
Carnage continued over the last two overs, as a four and six from Dercksen and two sixes from Brits saw 23 off Sieger’s 19th, while 13 came of Iris Zwilling’s 20th.
The Proteas will now be aiming to skittle the Netherlands for a low score to boost their net run rate with a tight finish to the pool stage a distinct possibility.
PROTEAS WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Dane van Niekerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
NETHERLANDS WOMEN: Sanya Khurana, Phebe Molkenboer, Babette de Leede (capt, wk), Sterre Kalis, Robine Rijke, Frederique Overdijk, Iris Zwilling, Myrthe van den Raad, Caroline de Lange, Silver Siegers, Hannah Landheer