Thrilling scenes at the New Wanderers Stadium saw South Africa and West Indies play out a tie before the visitors won the Super Over in a rain-affected second ODI of the series.
Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews slammed 25 runs in the Super Over off Shabnim Ismail to power West Indies to a win in the second ODI of the series in Johannesburg. Chloe Tyron and Tazmin Brits gave them a scare, with 15 runs coming off the first four balls in the run chase in the Super Over, but Matthews pulled things back to ease Windies to a win.
Reduced to 137/8 in a run chase of 161 after Ayabonga Khaka’s maiden ODI five-wicket haul, West Indies seemed down and out until Chedean Nation pulled the run chase together with her composure. With Shakera Salman giving company, West Indies came close to pulling off a win in normal time until South Africa struck again.
Masabata Klaas made the all-important breakthrough when she had Nation caught off her bowling in the 37th over. The No.10 and No.11 helped West Indies draw level, but the experienced Ismail kept South Africa in the game by trapping Salman in front for the visitors to be bowled out for 160, the exact same score the hosts managed to put up.
West Indies began the run chase of 161 with Dottin continuing her amazing form. The opener raced to 37 in 31 balls to give West Indies a quick start, but South Africa managed breakthroughs from the other end. After Khaka got through Dottin and Matthews, Luus struck to remove Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle in the same over to leave West Indies in trouble.
However, Henry and Nation put on a half-century stand to bring West Indies back before Khaka removed Henry and put South Africa on top again. Eventually, it needed a defiant knock from Nation to bring West Indies level.
Earlier in the game, Brits and Laura Wolvaardt put on a half-century opening stand for South Africa after the delayed start saw the match reduced to 41 overs-a-side. By the eighth over West Indies had brought on spinner Hayley Matthews, and the pressure she applied from her end with tight lines brought the first wicket.
Wolvaardt was dismissed for 25, breaking the 53-run opening stand, and it opened the floodgates for the Windies. Lara Goodall and Brits followed in the next two overs with Karishma Ramharack striking in her first over with Goodall’s wicket and Henry adding another in her next over, sending back the other opener.
At 58/3, the platform South Africa had built early on was already in tatters, but Mignon du Preez and skipper Luus rebuilt with the latter dominating the attack. While du Preez was gone after a brief resistance, out caught by Matthews off Ramharack’s bowling, Luus continued to plunder runs with boundaries flowing off her bat.
Alongside Tyron, South Africa resurrected quickly, but Luus fell four runs short of a deserved half-century and Tyron fell four overs later, leaving the Proteas six down with 142 on the board and less than six overs to go. They were bowled out for 160 with two more balls left in the innings, which proved almost enough but not quite.
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