Rudderless South Africa help beat themselves

South Africans needed something to brighten the gloom from Bafana Bafana's 2-0 loss to Mexico in their football World Cup opener. They were chained to a defensive approach that left them hopelessly out of step.

"Yeah, not the ideal start," Laura Wolvaardt told a press conference in Manchester on Friday, asked if her team could burst Australia's bubble in their T20 World Cup opener at Old Trafford on Saturday.

"Hopefully we can start a bit better."

They didn't. The team who reached finals in all of the last three World Cups in both formats flailed to defeat by 65 runs.

Sophie Molineux won the toss, chose to bat, and handed over a team sheet with four spinners. Australia recovered from 62/4 in the eighth to total 172/8, thanks largely to a stand of 58 off 38 between Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham. South Africa were bowled out for 107 in 16.4 – the only time they have been dismissed by Australia in the format. The four spinners took 8/72 in 12.4 overs.

Wolvaardt, South Africa's lynchpin, was marooned at the non-striker's end for 43 of the 82 balls bowled while she was at the crease. She made 44 off 39 with a dozen dot balls, her strike rate of 112.82 well below her usual output.

With Wolvaardt neutered, South Africa were rudderless. Their batting order looked more like a thumbsuck than a plan. Annerie Dercksen batted at No. 3 for only the third time in 26 T20I innings, and was bowled off her pads by Kim Garth with the 11th delivery.

Nadine de Klerk puzzled a press conference by saying, "I'm not sure why I'm there" about batting at No. 4 for the 10th time in 59 innings.

Marizanne Kapp had her 100th innings in the format at No. 5, despite having launched all five of her half-centuries at No. 3 – where she has batted 38 times.

South Africans had hoped Australia might not be as dominant as in past tournaments. Australia have won six of nine previous T20 World Cups. On Saturday's evidence, a seventh could be loading.

But the bigger truth: South Africa have won only two of 12 T20Is against Australia. The manner of this latest reversal is concerning. They played far below themselves.

They will want a better account against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Wednesday. South Africa have 15 wins in 27 games against Pakistan – their best record in the format except against Sri Lanka. But Pakistan have beaten South Africa a dozen times. Another display like Saturday's and an unlucky 13th could loom.