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Wolvaardt, Luus and spinners lead SA to big win over India

cricket19 April 2026 15:22| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Captain Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus added 106 for the first wicket as South Africa romped to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory with 17 balls to spare in the second T20 International against India at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday afternoon.

Wolvaardt was in stunning form with seven fours and a six as she made the tourists bowling attack look unusually toothless during her 54 from 34 balls before driving offspinner Shreyanka Patil to long on where Arundhati Reddy held the catch inches from the boundary.

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A top edged sweep ended Luus’ fine innings on 57 from 46 balls with six fours and a six but Tazmin Brits (20* from 17 balls) and Annerie Dercksen (12* from seven) completed a straightforward run chase with few challenges once the openers had laid such an emphatic platform.

INDIA RESTRICTED

But the game was mostly won in the first innings after outstanding spin bowling from left armers Chloe Tryon and Nonkululeko Mlaba helped restrict India to a modest total of 147 all out after South Africa chose to bowl first.

Tryon collected the first three wickets to fall and finished with 3-22 from her four overs while Mlaba conceded just 17 runs and dismissed top scorer, Shafali Verma, for a fiery 57 from just 38 balls.

There was little to suggest India would struggle while dashing opener Verma was flicking and cutting seven fours and driving opening bowler Tumi Sekhukhune (4-0-31-3) for two straight sixes but a middle order implosion saw a collapse from 99-2 to 132-9.

Number 11 Shree Charani hammered a six in the final over from Ayabonga Khaka (4-0-45-0) which cost 15 runs to give the tourists some hope of squaring the series on a slow and awkward pitch for batting but the total always looked a long way short of par and so it proved.

Tryon had Smriti Mandhana (12), Jemimah Rodrigues (2) and Anushka Sharma (28) all caught on the legside playing a variety of sweep shots while captain Harmanpreet Kaur was brilliantly run out by Annerie Dercksen and ‘keeper Sinalo Jafta who deftly backhanded the throw onto the stumps.

The excellent Verma was well caught by Nadine de Klerk on the extra cover boundary against the wily Mlaba.

South Africa take 2-0 lead in the five-match series after chasing 158 to win by six wickets in the first match at the same venue on Friday evening.

The series now moves to the Wanderers for the third and fourth on Wednesday and Saturday before concluding in Benoni on Monday.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba

INDIA: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Arundhati Reddy, Anushka Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud

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