Clinical Proteas bowling effort sees India struggle to 158

South Africa’s women recovered well to restrict India to a moderate 158 for seven in their key ICC T20 World Cup group match at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday.

India, having won the toss, made a lightning start to their innings with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma belting 30 off the first three overs delivered by Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp.

But then an unnecessary attempted scoop by Mandhana led to her dismissal, bowled by Kapp, and from then on wickets fell regularly as India battled to reassert control.

Ismail claimed her first wicket with her quickest delivery, a bouncer that just brushed the glove of Verma as she ducked. And when Yastka Bhatia was trapped leg before by the impressive Ayabonga Khaka, India had slipped from 30 without loss to 67 for three.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, playing her 200th T20I, brought some calm to the storm, but she lost Jemima Rodrigues who got a leading edge to Nadine de Klerk, lobbing a catch back to the bowler.

Ismail returned for her final over in the 15th over and the move paid off as she forced Kaur (24 off 22 balls) to play on. Deepti Sharma (29) and Richa Ghosh (15) then took India to their final total, probably about 20 short of what they would have wanted on a good pitch for batting.

For South Africa, Ismail bowled with good gas to claim 2/28 and Kapp matched her with 2/27. Nonkululeko Mlaba, Khaka and De Klerk took a wicket apiece.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

INDIA: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma