A sensational display of hitting by Marizanne Kapp paved the way for the Proteas Women to clinch their One-Day International Series against Sri Lanka with a 30-run Duckworth/Lewis victory in match two at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Thursday.
The all-rounder blasted four sixes and six fours in an unbeaten 69 off just 34 deliveries to help the hosts amass 268 for seven.
Her quick-fire half-century, the seventh of her career, added to similar efforts from Laura Wolvaardt, who made 64 off 69 balls (8 fours), and 52 (77 balls, 5 fours) by Lara Goodall.
Kapp then grabbed two for 41 amongst four run-outs as the tourists collapsed to 231 all out. Chamari Attapaththu was their key contributor after she plundered 94 off 78 balls (13 fours, 3 sixes). However, she lacked support in a chase briefly interrupted by rain as Sri Lanka fell behind 2-0 in the three-match series.
Some of the victory taste for the South Africans, however, may have been taken away with news before the start that captain Dané van Niekerk had been ruled out for three months due to a stress fracture of the neck of the right femur.
Stand-in captain Suné Luus lost the toss not long after that news broke as the South Africans were asked to bat first.
They were given an excellent start thanks to Wolvaardt’s 12th career 50 and 24 from Andrie Steyn as the home side progressed to 71 for one in the 14th over.
A flurry of wickets from there saw them slip to 183/6, with Goodall the only batter standing tall in that period with her maiden career half-century.
After she fell, it was the Kapp show as she tore into the Sri Lanka attack in a stand worth 85 alongside Faye Tunnicliffe (15), whose wicket brought about the end of the innings.
Kapp then landed the islanders an early blow by getting key opener Prasadani Weerakkody for two, but a 110-run second-wicket stand between Attaapaththu and Anushka Sanjeewani (46) put their side back on track.
And even after the latter was dismissed, Harshitha Madavi (30) kept up the run-rate alongside her skipper as Sri Lanka reached 190 for four at one stage.
However, they then panicked in the face of some sprightly fielding by the Proteas and were eventually dismissed in 46.2 overs.
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