VISAKHAPATNAM: South Africa trumped Richa Ghosh’s vibrant 94 through collective combativeness of Laura Wolvaardt and Nadine de Klerk to eke out a thrilling three-wicket win over India in the ICC Women’s World Cup on Thursday.

Skipper Wolvaardt (70), Chloe Tryon (49) and Nadine de Klerk (84 not out, 54 balls) played lead roles as South Africa overhauled India’s 251, and rose to fourth position on the table.

They ended up at 252 for seven in 48.5 overs.

Once half of South Africa’s batting unit returned to the hut with less than 100 on the board, their chase appeared to have been doomed.

Pacer Kranti Gaud’s stunning return catch to dismiss opener Tazmin Brits for a naught, triggered SA’s slide.

Veterans Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch and Sinalo Jafta did not last long in the middle, as South Africa slid to 81 for five.

Wolvaardt added 51 runs for the sixth wicket with Chloe Tryon to steady the ship.

She reached her fifty in 81 balls before Gaud returned to take Wolvaardt’s wicket.

But Tryon and De Klerk, braved the Indian attack to combine for 69 runs for the seventh wicket, which carried their side closer to the finishing line.

The visitors needed 52 runs off the last five overs, and surmounted that 10 runs an over situation through prudence and power of De Klerk.

Earlier, Ghosh hit 94, which came in 77 balls (11 fours and four sixes). The right-hander found perfect pacing during her fifty after walking in at a marshy 102 for six. The rescue work started with Ghosh adding 51 runs for the steady seventh wicket with Amanjot Kaur.

But Kaur departed in her effort to up the scoring rate, as India were once again pegged back at 153 for seven.

However, Ghosh found another able and stable ally in Sneh Rana (33) as they realised 88 runs off 53 balls for the eighth wicket.

A maiden ODI hundred was well within Ghosh’s reach but she fell in the final over chasing some quick runs.

The beginning was bright as openers Pratika Rawal (37) and Smriti Mandhana (23) added 55 runs in 10.2 overs.

Rawal and Harleen Deol (13) then took India to 83 for one, and the latter’s dismissal sparked a collapse, as the hosts lost five wickets for just 19 runs.

South African bowlers’ nagging line, and a hint of turn might have played a part in it, but the Indian batters too were guilty of trying to force the pace.

Deol fell to a peach by Mlaba as the ball squared her up with its outward turn, but Rawal tried to push pacer Tumi Sekhkhune to leg-side and the resulting leading edge was taken by Brits.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur looked to play a booming drive off spinner Tryon but another leading edge ended in the hands of Kapp.

Jemimah Rodrigues missed the sweep against Tryon and fell leg before and Deepti Sharma was caught down the leg side as India slipped to 102 for six.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

P. Rawal c Brits b Sekhukhune37 S. Mandhana c Luus b Mlaba23 H. Deol b Mlaba13 H. Kaur c Kapp b Tryon9 J. Rodrigues lbw b Tryon0 D. Sharma c Jafta b Kapp4 A. Kaur c Luus b Tryon13 R. Ghosh c Tryon b de Klerk94 S. Rana c Wolvaardt b Kapp33 K. Gaud not out0 S. Charani c Wolvaardt b de Klerk0 EXTRAS (NB-1, W-24)25 TOTAL (all out, 49.5 overs)251 FALL OF WICKETS: 1-55 (Mandhana), 2-83 (Deol), 3-91 (Rawal), 4-92 (Rodrigues), 5-100 (H. Kaur), 6-102 (Sharma), 7-153 (A. Kaur), 8-241 (Rana), 9-251 (Ghosh) BOWLING: Kapp 9-0-45-2 (2w, 1nb), Khaka 7-0-47-0 (4w), de Klerk 6.5-0-52-2 (3w), Mlaba 10-0-46-2 (3w), Sekhukhune 7-0-29-1 (1w), Tryon 10-0-32-3 (2w)

SOUTH AFRICA: L. Wolvaardt b Gaud70 T. Brits c&b Gaud0 S. Luus c Ghosh b A. Kaur5 M. Kapp b Rana20 A. Bosch c&b Sharma1 S. Jafta lbw b Charani14 C. Tryon lbw b Rana49 N. de Klerk not out84 A. Khaka not out1 EXTRAS (W-8)8 TOTAL (for seven wickets, 48.5 overs)252 DID NOT BAT: T. Sekhukhune, N. Mlaba FALL OF WICKETS: 1-6 (Brits), 2-18 (Luus), 3-57 (Kapp), 4-58 (Bosch), 5-81 (Jafta), 6-142 (Wolvaardt), 7-211 (Tryon) BOWLING: Gaud 9-0-59-2 (2w), A. Kaur 5.5-0-40-1 (3w), Rana 10-0-47-2 (2w), Charani 10-1-37-1 (1w), Sharma 10-0-54-1, H. Kaur 4-0-15-0 RESULT: South Africa won by three wickets. PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Nadine de Klerk

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2025