South Africa beats Bangladesh in final-over thriller at Women’s Cricket World Cup

VISAKHAPATNAM, India (AP) — Nadine de Klerk completed a thrilling chase by South Africa to beat Bangladesh in the final over at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Monday.

Needing eight runs off the last six balls, de Klerk smacked a four and a six to finish the chase with three deliveries remaining. She scored 37 not out off 29 balls, taking South Africa to victory by three wickets at 235-7.

Bangladesh made a competitive 232-6 after opting to bat first.

The Proteas were a precarious 78-5 before Chloe Tryon scored 62 off 69 balls and Marizanne Kapp 56 off 71 in a momentum-changing sixth-wicket partnership of 85 off 109.

Tryon was named the player of the match.

“I wanted to take the game as deep as possible, knowing Nadine was there at the back end to do what she does best,” Tryon said. “We stayed calm and waited for the bad balls. I am happy that we got over the line.”

It was a third successive win for South Africa in four games, and it leapfrogged co-host India to go to third in the table. The Proteas travel to Colombo next to play Sri Lanka on Friday.

Bangladesh stayed sixth. It next plays Australia on Thursday, at the same venue.

Tale of two big partnerships

Bangladesh started off slowly. Openers Fargana Hoque (30) and Rubya Haider (25) used up 128 deliveries.

Sharmin Akhter scored 50 off 77 before she was run out. She put on 77 runs with Nigar Sultana (32) for the third wicket.

Bangladesh was 164-4 in the 43rd over then Shorna Akter’s blitz turned the momentum from South Africa. She hit three sixes, and three fours to score 50 off 34 balls as Bangladesh crossed 200 and put up a par score on a slow surface.

Left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba took 2-42.

Bangladesh’s own left-arm spinner, Nahida Akter, hit South Africa’s top order hard — in-form Tazmin Brits was dismissed for a duck. Wrist spinner Rabeya Khan bowled Annerie Dercksen for 2.

Skipper Laura Wolvaardt was run out for 31 off 56 balls. Anneke Bosch added 28 but South Africa slipped to 78-5 when Sinalo Jafta was bowled for 4.

Tryon and Kapp absorbed the pressure and took time to get going, then upped the ante. Both batters scored their first half-centuries of the World Cup.

Kapp was caught at long-off in the 41st over. Tryon and de Klerk quickly added 35 off 27 balls to propel the chase before Tryon was run out in the 45th still 35 runs from victory.

De Klerk was dropped in the penultimate over; Shorna Akter spilled the catch at long-off.

De Klerk pressed on and finished off the game four balls later.

On Tuesday, co-host Sri Lanka takes on New Zealand in Colombo.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket