Marizanne Kapp performed brilliantly as South Africa defeated India by six wickets in their Group A match of the Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday.Kapp played with ball and ball, first returning 2/27 before unleashing an unbeaten 81 off 45 runs to guide South Africa to victory with five balls to spare. His knock included seven boundaries and a six and he settled for 161/4 chasing India’s 158/7.India were left to rue the missed opportunity, with substitute Radha Yadav dropping Kapp twice at crucial moments, allowing the South African batsman to take full advantage.Batting first in two overs, India struggled to get things going and were able to manage slowly despite reaching 158/7. Deepti Sharma The highest score is 29 from 21 balls, while the captain Harmanpreet Kaur he made 24 from 22 deliveries.India’s innings got off to a good start, reaching 54 for no loss, but they collapsed dramatically, slumping to 83/4 before Deepti and Harmanpreet added a steady 33-run stand for the fifth wicket. However, poor shot selection and loss of momentum kept them from falling short.South Africa’s chase at the start looked settled rather than aggressive, by the openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits discuss the new ball carefully. However, India lost through Shree Charani, who took two wickets for the change. He took a strong catch to chase Wolvaardt for 20 and dropped Annerie Dercksen for a duck two balls later.Despite the odds, South Africa built a crucial 97-run partnership between Kapp and the Brits, which sealed the result of the match. The two rounded the batting well and got a steady margin, and improved the required level.The Brits conceded 40 from 36 balls before falling in the 17th over, resulting in a deep back pull, a wicket that would have come earlier had Radha Yadav not missed another straight chance.Kapp continued unbeaten and carried his side to the line, punishing careless bowlers and taking advantage of his return to finish unbeaten on 81 as South Africa reached 161/4 in 19.1 overs.The result pushed South Africa up to third in the points standings, behind India and leaders Australia, which has put the group race on a tight footing.
