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Lee, Wolvaardt seal the series for South Africa after comprehensive bowling performance

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Gomesh Shanmugavelayutham
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Lee, Wolvaardt seal the series for South Africa after comprehensive bowling performance

Lizelle Lee, Shabnim Ismail, Laura Wolvaardt. © Getty

Clinical bowling performance from Shabnim Ismail followed by some outstanding batting by Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt helped South Africa seal the five-match ODI series against West Indies with an eight-wicket win in the third ODI on Monday (September 13).

Being asked to bat by South Africa, West Indies lost Hayley Matthews early as the allrounder's poor run of form continued. She pushed at a full-length delivery off Shabnim Ismail towards the bowler, who completed a return catch in her follow-through. Meanwhile, Marizanne Kapp had picked up from where she left off in the second ODI, teasing the West Indies top-order with outswingers outside off-stump.

After a few close calls, Chedean Nation, who walked in at number three, tried to drive a full and wide outswinger from Kapp through covers without getting to the pitch of the ball and edged it to second slip. In the absence of Kyshona Knight, the pressure was on Deandra Dottin and the young Rashada Williams to deliver.

The duo survived the new ball spell from Kapp and Ismail and negotiated Ayabonga Khaka and Tumi Sekhukhune with caution. They took some time to settle and kept the scoreboard moving with singles and doubles. Williams and Dottin added 77 runs for the third wicket before the former got out trying to hit Sune Luus over extra cover. She made 37 runs from 79 balls.

A mini-collapse followed with Kycia Knight (6) and Shabika Gajnabi (0) getting out in quick succession. However, Dottin kept the innings going with Qiana Joseph, who had to stay put at one end while the allrounder did most of the scoring. Dotting brought up her 20th ODI half-century in 103 balls, but Ismail had cleaned up Joseph already for eight runs from 27 balls.

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Along with skipper Anisa Mohammed, Dottin tried to accelerate in the last few overs, picking up some crucial boundaries. She raced to 71 runs from 123 balls before getting out to Khaka in the 47th over. The rest of the wickets were just a formality as West Indies were all out for 157 in 48.4 overs. Ismail was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 31 runs.

Chasing a target similar to the first ODI, Lee and Wolvaardt got off to a slow start. Anisa Mohammed used Matthews and Shamilia Connell in tandem from ball one, not giving any free deliveries early in the innings. They managed to score only 46 runs in 12.2 overs before rain interrupted.

Though West Indies were tight with their lines, their fielding was not up to the mark, helping South Africa steal a few easy boundaries. Wolvaardt was the accelerator in the partnership, with Lee struggling to get her innings going. Coming after the rain break, Wolvaardt hit a flurry of boundaries, especially against off-spinner Karishma Ramharack. 

Lee, too, broke the shackles with a couple of boundaries, but it was largely Wolvaardt who kept the scoreboard moving. She brought up her 21st ODI half-century, the second of the series, in 64 balls. Lee caught up with her partner, scoring her 22nd fifty in 94 balls. However, she soon raced past Wolvaardt, hitting boundaries off Mohammed, Joseph and Connell. 

Though Wolvaardt and Sune Luus got out one after the other to Joseph, Lee saw through the chase along with her skipper Dane van Niekerk in 36.4 overs. Lee finished unbeaten with 78 runs from 120 balls, with Joseph being the lone wicket-taker for West Indies.

Brief Scores: West Indies 157/10 in 48.4 overs (Deandra Dottin 71; Shabnim Ismail 3/31) lost to South Africa 158/2 in 36.4 overs (Lizelle Lee 78*; Qiana Joseph 2/24) by eight wickets. POTM: Shabnim Ismail

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West Indies South Africa Deandra Dottin Lizelle Lee Laura Wolvaardt Shabnim Ismail South Africa tour of West Indies, 2021
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