Records tumbled as Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits notched up match-winning centuries to help guide the Proteas Women to an emphatic 216-run victory in the third and final One-Day International to secure a 2-1 series win in Benoni, Gauteng, on Saturday 23 December, 2023.
Player of the Series Wolvaardt top-scored with 126 off 134 balls (13 fours, 1 six) while Player of the Match Brits recorded her maiden hundred in the format with 118 off 124 deliveries, including eight fours and two sixes to lead the Proteas to 316/4 before Bangladesh were restricted to 100 all out with 18.5 overs to spare.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first in sweltering conditions at Willowmoore Park as openers Brits and Wolvaardt set out to lay an ideal platform for the home side, with the pair getting through the powerplay unscathed to bring up their 50-run stand and help the hosts reach 60/0.
With both batters gaining more confidence at the crease, the imposing duo brought up the highest first-wicket partnership in women’s ODI cricket in Benoni, surpassing the previous best of 80 before the two players celebrated their 100-run stand in the 19th over as Wolvaardt raised her bat for a half-century.
Brits shortly followed suit with her own half-century, her second in as many ODIs, as South Africa reached 130/0 at the halfway mark of the innings.
Wolvaardt and Brits continued to make the most of the conditions and their form as the two punched gloves to mark their 150-run partnership to take the home side to 184/0 at the second drinks break.
After the interval, Wolvaardt raised her arms aloft for a fifth-career ton off 120 deliveries before South Africa and the top-order batters notched up 200 runs in the 39th over. For the second time in the 2023/24 season, two Proteas Women batters celebrated their hundreds in one match as Brits recorded her first-ever ODI century off 113 balls.
Wolvaardt and Brits then entered their names into the South African record books as they amassed the highest first wicket partnership (243) – breaking the previous record of 209 between Andrie Steyn and Suné Luus.
The historic stand was eventually brought to an end with Wolvaardt playing onto her stumps off a Marufa Akter (1/35) delivery after increasing her aggressive strokes, with the skipper departing on a well-played 126.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
After the initial breakthrough, Brits was the next wicket to fall as Ritu Moni (1/39) trapped the tall batter LBW for a personal best score of 118 to leave South Africa on 251/2 in the 44th over.
With the launch pad set for an eye-catching total, Anneke Bosch (28*) and Luus went about their business in belligerent fashion as the pair added 47 runs for the third wicket, with the latter dispatching six fours to score 34 off 17 balls before being sent back to the hut off the bowling of Rabeya Khan (2/49) with the Proteas on the cusp of the 300-run mark.
Although Khan picked up her second wicket with the very next ball to see the back of Nadine de Klerk (0), South Africa managed to finish on an impressive 316/4 – the team’s third best total in ODI cricket.
Facing an arduous task of 317 for victory, Bangladesh got off to a stuttering start with the bat as Marizanne Kapp (2/21) and Ayabonga Khaka (3/15) struck crucial blows with two wickets each in the opening stanza, dismissing Shamima Sultana (6), Murshida Khatun (8), Fargana Hoque (8) and Nigar Sultana (3) to leave the touring side reeling on 28/4 after 6.2 overs.
Following an eventful start at the crease, the rebuild job for Bangladesh was taken on by Fahima Khatun (15) and Moni (33), with the pair combining for 36 runs before the former was trapped leg-before by Eliz-Mari Marx (1/6).
Still needing 239 runs to win, Bangladesh’s woes worsened as De Klerk mastered a direct hit to run out young all-rounder Shorna Akter (1) as South Africa edged closer to victory.
Despite late cameos from Moni and Nahida Akter (11), the visitors weren’t able to resist the South African bowlers as De Klerk (3/10) picked up three late wickets alongside Khaka’s third scalp of the day to see the Proteas over the line, securing a 216-run win in the 42nd over – South Africa’s third best winning margin in 50-over cricket.
The Proteas Women’s win sees them soar up the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 table, sitting joint-top with 18 points from 12 matches alongside Australia, as part of the qualification journey to the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Proteas Women ODI Squad
Laura Wolvaardt
Anneke Bosch
Tazmin Brits
Nadine de Klerk
Mieke de Ridder
Lara Goodall
Sinalo Jafta
Marizanne Kapp
Ayabonga Khaka
Masabata Klaas
Suné Luus
Eliz-Mari Marx
Nonkululeko Mlaba
Tumi Sekhukhune
Delmi Tucker
Bangladesh Women ODI Squad
Nigar Sultana (c)
Fargana Hoque
Sobhana Mostary
Murshida Khatun
Shamima Sultana (wk)
Disha Biswas
Lata Mondal
Rabeya Khan
Ritu Moni
Shorna Akter
Sumaiya Akter
Nahida Akter
Fahima Khatun
Marufa Akter
Sultana Khatun
Shorifa Khatun
ICC Women’s Championship One-Day International Series Fixtures and Results of the South Africa Inbound Tour vs Bangladesh 2023/24 from 12-23 December, 2023
South Africa win the ICC Women’s Championship One-Day Series vs Bangladesh 2-1
Match Results
Tue 12 Dec: Warm-Up Match: SA Emerging lost to Bangladesh XI by 8 runs
Sat 16 Dec, 14h00: 1st ODI – South Africa lost to Bangladesh by 119 runs
Wed 20 Dec, 14h00: 2nd ODI – South Africa beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets
Sat 23 Dec, 14h00: 3rd ODI – South Africa beat Bangladesh
Main Photo Caption: South Africa are the series champions after the third ODI match between South Africa and Bangladesh at Willowmoore Park on December 23, 2023 in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa, on 23 December, 2023. Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Photo 2 Caption: SA captain Laura Wolvaardt celebrates her 100 runs against Bangladesh at Willowmoore Park. Freshly appointed skipper over all three formats in a November 2023 announcement by CSA, The world-admired batting talent will be pleased with her team’s developing can-do demeanour in these early days of her tenure as captain. Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Photo 3 Caption: Tazmin Brits celebrates her career second ODI 50 – this one following her debut 50 in the second ODI – during the third Women’s ODI match, on 23 December, 2023, in Benoni, South Africa. Brits went on to record her maiden international century for South Africa in a record-breaking opening bat stand with Wolvaardt. Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
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