Tazmin Brits slams ton as SA remain in SF mix

Just hours after India got past Bangladesh to maintain their second spot in Group A, South Africa remained on their tail in pursuit of a semifinal spot. Tazmin Brits slammed her maiden T20I ton to power her side to an 88-run win over Netherlands.

Laura Wolvaardt chose the right game to shrug off her slow start to the World Cup as she combined with Brits for an opening partnership worth 121 runs. In the fifth over from Silver Siegers, Wolvaardt began with a boundary and Brits hit three more to quickly take South Africa past 50 inside the Powerplay. The pair didn't hit sixes but boundaries came at will. At the halfway stage, they dragged their team to 94/0. In the 11th over, Brits got to her fifty off 35 deliveries.

Hannah Landheer dismissed Wolvaardt in the 14th over for a 36-ball 45. Brits remained unfazed, hitting Frederique Overdijk for three boundaries in the following over to take South Africa to the death overs on 142/1.

Annerie Dercksen arrived with the agenda of smashing the ball around as her 16-ball 37 helped push the team past the 200-run mark. Brits scored 50 of the 87 added by the pair. The first six of the innings came in the 18th over, bringing up Brits's maiden T20I hundred. Dercksen tonked one in the same over to take 14 off it. Hell broke loose against Siegers in the penultimate over as Dercksen started with a four and a six and Brits closed it with two sixes. Dercksen got two more fours in the final over, taking the team to 208/1.

Netherlands openers Phebe Molkenboer and Sanya Khurana – both aged 21 – got going with a flurry of fours, reaching 50/0 in the Powerplay. Chloe Tryon broke through in the eighth over with the wicket of Khurana. Sterre Kalis joined Molkenboer to push the chase with regular boundaries. That stand worth 42 was broken by Ismail who dismissed Kalis in the 15th over.

A collapse ensued as Netherlands went from 100/2 to 120/8, with Khaka striking thrice in the final over. The victory gives Group A a tantalising setup – England have already qualified but the second semifinal spot will go down to the wire. South Africa play Bangladesh on June 28. Later that evening, India's hopes rest on their fixture against Australia.

Brief Scores: South Africa 208/1 in 20 overs (Tazmin Brits 114*, Laura Wolvaardt 45, Annerie Dercksen 37) beat Netherlands 120/8 in 20 overs (Phebe Molkenboer 41, Sanya Khurana 36; Chloe Tryon 2-16, Ayabonga Khaka 3-19) by 88 runs