A brilliant spell from Ayabonga Khaka has helped South Africa escape with a hard-fought 32-run victory over a gallant Bangladesh in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in Dunedin on Saturday.

Khaka’s match-winning four for 32 included a spell of three wickets in nine balls as she put the clamps on Bangladesh’s batting line-up and ensured her side were able to defend a modest total of 207.

Openers Shamima Sultana (28) and Sharmin Akhter (34) had given Bangladesh a perfect start as they reached 69 without loss, but Khaka’s timely intervention reduced the score to 72 for three with wickets falling in quick succession as the required run-rate continued to rise.

Skipper Nigar Sultana (29) and Ritu Moni (27) tried to use their experience to get Bangladesh back in it, but Shabnim Ismail (1/33) and Masabata Klaas (2/36) returned to the crease with the ball as the Proteas held on.

Earlier, Fariha Trisna was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with three for 35 while Jahanara Alam and Ritu Moni stood out with two wickets apiece as Bangladesh excelled in their first-ever match at a 50-over World Cup.

All-rounder Marizanne Kapp top-scored for South Africa with 42, while opener Laura Wolvaardt (41) and the dangerous Chloe Tryon (39) also got starts as the Proteas badly missed the big-hitting of veteran batter Lizelle Lee.

South African skipper Sune Luus was dismissed in unlucky circumstances, with the ball deflecting off Rumana Ahmed’s fingers and on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

The Proteas were all out in the final over for 207, but that proved enough as Khaka’s inspirational spell and some valuable experience made sure there was no fairytale World Cup debut for Bangladesh. – ICC

Sports Reporter

Only Timycen Maruma and Carl Mumba batted with much spirit as the Zimbabwe A team put up a feeble performance in their second innings and were bowled out for only 93 runs at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

South Africa A thus won the first unofficial Test match between the sides by an innings and 166 runs.

The host began the day on 22 for two wickets, having started their second innings 259 runs in arrears – the overnight batsmen were Takudzwanashe Kaitano with 10 and Maruma with three.

Kaitano was soon out for 11, dabbling at a ball from Sipamla well outside his off stump that he edged to the wicketkeeper, Sinethemba Qeshile, to make the score 29 for three.

Roy Kaia came in and scored 10 runs before he slashed at a ball from Daryn Dupavillon and was caught on the off side, making the score 45 for four.

As Richmond Mutumbami came in, Maruma hit Dupavillon for two fours in an over, but for the most part stuck to stolid defence – as did Mutumbami, who took 22 balls to get off the mark by slashing a four off Miguel Pretorius past the slips.

Later in the same over, he miscued a defensive stroke and popped a gentle return catch to the bowler, making the score now 67 for five wickets.

Maruma had continued to play a solid defensive game, with occasional hits, but now he slashed wildly at a delivery from Pretorius outside his off stump and edged it straight to the keeper.

He had made 33 off 99 balls, with three fours, and his departure at 70 for six wickets ensured heavy defeat for the team, with only tail-enders to come.

Four further balls would have seen him survive until lunch, when the score was 71 for six.

The innings lasted less than half an hour after lunch.

Only Mumba put up any real fight, hitting three fours in his score of 13 not out off 19 deliveries – with more support from the other tail-enders he might have been able to take the total past 100.

When Tapiwa Mufudza was bowled by Glenton Stuurman the ball smashed the top off his off stump, which had to be replaced.

The last wicket fell when Tanaka Chivanga miscued a hit off Stuurman to leg and was caught, leaving Mumba stranded and the total at a very disappointing 93.

Stuurman took three wickets for 18 and Dupavillon three for 28, while there were two wickets each for Pretorius and Sipamla, all pace bowlers.

Sports Reporter

The opening pair of captain Andrie Steyn and Tazmin Brits scored unbeaten fifties to hand South Africa Emerging Women a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe Women in the fourth one-day match at Queens Sports Club on Monday.

After winning the toss this time round, the hosts elected to bat for the first time in this series.

Their fortunes, however, did not change as they endured a terrible start to their innings, losing Modester Mupachikwa (3) and Pellagia Mujaji (0) to two consecutive deliveries in the second over bowled by Michaela Andrews.

Chiedza Dhururu and Christabel Chatonzwa then lifted the home side from eight for two with a 50-run stand that was only broken when the former was caught at the wicket off a Delmi Tucker delivery in the 19th over.

She had made 25, with two fours, off 59 deliveries.

Josephine Nkomo, who had scored three half-centuries – two of them unbeaten – in the previous one-dayers, this time round only faced five balls before departing for one, bowled by Jade de Figueiredo in the 20th over to leave Zimbabwe Women in turmoil at 59 for four.

Four overs later, the same bowler returned to shove the hosts into deeper trouble, trapping Chatonzwa lbw for 21, with three boundaries, off 61 deliveries; 72 for five.

By the 28th over, it was 85 for seven after Nyasha Gwanzura (4) was bowled by Khayakazi Mathe before, seven deliveries later, Loryn Phiri was out caught and bowled by Andrews without getting off the mark.

Precious Marange and Tasmeen Granger took the team past 100 in the 32nd over as they offered their team the last hope of mustering a defendable total.

Masabata Klaas then struck a double blow in the 36th over, bowling Granger for a 26-ball 20, with two fours, and Audrey Mazvishaya for a golden duck off successive deliveries to reduce Zimbabwe Women to 108 for nine.

Nomvelo Sibanda survived the hat-trick ball but it was not long before the innings folded at 137 in the 40th over when Leah Jones bowled Marange for a fighting 40, which included six boundaries and came off 55 balls.

Sibanda was left not out with five.

Andrews finished with three wickets, while Klaas and Figueiredo each had two.

In response, South Africa Emerging Women only required 24.4 overs to overhaul the home side’s total without losing a single wicket, as Steyn and Brits barely broke a sweat in putting up an unbroken opening stand of 138 runs.

Brits was the more aggressive of the two, facing 61 balls and blasting eight fours on her way to 67 not out.

On the other end, Steyn finished with 61 not out, including five boundaries, off 87 deliveries.

With the 10-wicket victory, the tourists are now leading 4-0 in the series, with the fifth and final game between the two sides set for this Wednesday.