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Brits strikes fine hundred in losing cause as India pip South Africa

football29 April 2025 12:37| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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Tazmin Brits © @ProteasWomen (X)

Tazmin Brits struck a magnificent century in a losing cause as India’s women beat South Africa by 15 runs in a dramatic ODI in scorching heat in the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

India have now won both their matches and top the tri-table with four points. South Africa and Sri Lanka meet for the first time on Thursday in a competition that is part of their buildup for the ICC Women’s World Cup in India in five months’ time.

South Africa’s skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, commented afterwards: “We'd been set up nice and early, but lost our way towards the end. It's unfortunate what happened with Tazmin, but it's really hot, so what can you do? She could barely get up the stairs. She did a good job, it should have been up to the others.”

India’s winning captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, said: "We fielded really well and saved a lot of runs. South Africa were doing well for 25 overs, but then we got that breakthrough. The way we were batting on this pitch we knew we could get close to 270. Maybe 10-15 runs here could have given us a better cushion. When Brits left the field we looked at it as an opportunity. We thought about bowling dot balls, and if we can get wickets in between that would be great."

Chasing a challenging target of 277 for victory, South Africa looked in a commanding position when Brits and Wolvaardt put on 140 for the first wicket.

The pair played perfectly in tandem, with Brits the aggressor and Wolvaardt the glue. But when Wolvaardt was trapped leg before for 43 in the 28th over, the Indian spinners began to apply pressure and South Africa’s problems were compounded when Brits, after reaching her third ODI hundred, was forced to retire hurt with severe cramp in the 33rd over when she had reached 108 in 105 balls in a wonderful knock that included 13 fours and three sixes.

After her departure, the Indian spinners got on top of the South African batters although Sune Luus (28 in 34 balls), Chloe Tryon (18 in 22 balls) and particularly Annerie Dercksen (30 in 20 balls, including three fours and a six) did their very best to maintain the momentum required for victory.

It all came to a head in the 48th over, with South Africa requiring 25 for victory in the last three overs. It was offspinner Sneh Rana who struck the mortal blows – three wickets in five balls, including that of Brits who returned to the crease – that effectively clinched the contest. Rana, made player of the match, finally finished up with 5-43 in her 10 overs. Fellow spinners Deepti Sharma (1-40) and Shree Charani (1-51) also played important supporting roles.

Earlier, opener Pratika Rawal struck 78 in 91 balls to lead India’s women to a challenging 276 for six wickets after they had won the toss and chosen to bat first.

The South Africans had their moments but ultimately struggled to contain the Indian batters at the top and the bottom of the order, with India scoring 82 in the last 10 overs.

The openers, Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, provided the main building block of the innings with an opening partnership of 83 in 111 balls, with Mandhana (36 in 54 balls) the first to go as she was strangled down the leg side, providing debutant wicketkeeper Karabo Meso with her first international catch.

Building on this start, Rawal and Harleen Deol then added a further 68 in 73 balls for the second wicket with Rawal becoming the fastest woman to 500 runs in women’s ODIs (in eight matches) as she struck her second consecutive half-century (78 off 91 balls, including 7x4s, 1x6) before she was bowled by left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba.

Her dismissal signalled a good spell for the South Africans with Mlaba claiming a second wicket in consecutive overs when she yorked Deol.

After losing two wickets for three runs midway through the innings, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur steadied the ship while new batter Jemimah Rodrigues built momentum again with a breezy 41 in 32 balls as the pair added 59 in 58 balls. An entertaining cameo of 24 in 14 balls from Richa Ghosh followed while Kaur stayed to the end for a steadying 41 off 48 balls.

The South Africans were sloppy in the field at times, dropping three catches, and they didn’t help their cause by bowling 13 wides. The most successful bowler was Mlaba with 2/55 in her 10 overs.

SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN: Laura Woolvardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Lara Goodall, Karaba Meso (wk), Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine De Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas

INDIA WOMEN: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani

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