It was yet another case of so naby maar tog so ver for South African cricket, as the Proteas women’s team lost to New Zealand in the final of the T20 World Cup in Dubai last night.
Set a winning target of 159 in their 20 overs, South Africa could only get to 126/ 9 – losing the match at the Dubai International Stadium by 32 runs.
It means as a country, South Africa have now played in 34 tournaments (nine men’s ODIs and nine T20Is, seven women’s ODI tournaments and nine T20s) without success.
Furthermore, the country has made the finals of the last three T20 tournaments, with the women’s team going down to Australia on home soil last year, before the men’s team lost to India in the decider earlier this year.
There was some real hope that on Sunday was to be the big day, but after putting the Kiwis in to bat South Africa conceded 15 extras to help their opponents to 158/5, despite Nonkululeko Mlaba’s 2/31.
Amelia Kerr scored 43 off 38 balls and Brooke Halliday 38 off 28 for the Kiwis.
South Africa needed a good start to mount a serious challenge and they had one, with skipper Laura Wolvaardt (33 off 27) and Tazmin Brits (17 off 18) putting on 51 inside seven overs.
But then all hell broke lose, as they went from 51/0 to 77/5 with Anneke Bosch (9), Marizanne Kapp (8), Nadine de Klerk (6) and Sune Luus (8) all falling cheaply to leave South Africa high and dry in Dubai.
They eventually ended on 126/9, as Player of the Match Kerr took 3/24 to help New Zealand win its first ever Cricket World Cup.