JOHANNESBURG – In a dazzling display of power-hitting that will be etched into the annals of South African cricket, Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt struck a spectacular century to orchestrate a record-breaking nine-wicket victory over India at the DP World Wanderers Stadium on Wednesday night.
The emphatic win, sealed with 21 balls to spare, secured South Africa an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20 International series.
Chasing a daunting target of 193, the Proteas made a mockery of the Indian bowling attack, crossing the finish line in just 16.3 overs. The historic chase was anchored by a monumental 183-run opening partnership between Wolvaardt and Suné Luus—setting a new record for the highest partnership for any wicket by South Africa in the T20I format.
A Chase for the Record Books
The Indian bowlers, hampered by sloppy misfields and dropped catches, had no answers for Wolvaardt’s sheer brilliance. The skipper bludgeoned a career-best 115 off just 53 deliveries, an innings decorated with 14 boundaries and five towering sixes.
She set the tone early, racing to a 23-ball half-century—the fastest ever by a South African woman in T20Is—propelling her side to a staggering 72/0 by the end of the powerplay. Wolvaardt didn’t stop there, bringing up her century off just 47 balls, marking the quickest T20I hundred by a South African woman and the joint third-fastest globally. The masterclass also saw her comfortably breach the 8,500-run mark in international cricket across all formats.
At the other end, Suné Luus was the perfect foil, seamlessly shifting gears to notch an unbeaten 64 off 42 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes). It was Luus who provided the finishing touch in emphatic style, launching Deepti Sharma over midwicket for a massive six to seal the match and the series.
India’s Efforts in Vain
Earlier in the evening, after a brief lightning delay ahead of the toss, South Africa elected to field first. India’s batting lineup, desperate to keep the series alive after heavy defeats in the first two matches, posted a highly competitive 192/4.
Openers Smriti Mandhana (37 off 25) and Shafali Verma (64 off 46 balls) laid a solid foundation, steering the visitors to 51/0 in the powerplay. The Proteas hit back in the ninth over when spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba (2/31) grabbed two wickets in two balls, removing a dangerous Mandhana and dismissing Jemimah Rodrigues for a golden duck to reduce India to 68/2.
Despite the double blow, Verma anchored the innings with a mature 16th T20I half-century. It was Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, however, who provided the late fireworks. Kaur launched a blistering assault in the death overs, smashing a 38-ball 66 that featured seven fours and three sixes. She combined with Richa Ghosh (18*) to add 51 runs late in the innings, dragging India to what seemed like a formidable total before being run out on the final delivery.
Looking Ahead
For India, the defeat caps off a frustrating stretch in Johannesburg where persistent fielding woes undermined a vastly improved batting effort. With the series now decisively in South Africa’s grip, the visitors will be playing for pride.
The Proteas, meanwhile, will look to maintain their ruthless momentum as the teams return to the DP World Wanderers Stadium for the fourth T20I on Saturday, April 25 at 18:00 SAST, before wrapping up the tour in Benoni next week.
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