Laura Wolvaardt led from the front, delivering a spectacular display with the bat on Wednesday night as she led the Proteas women to a nine-wicket win at the Wanderers, with the hosts taking an unassailable 3-0 lead with two games to spare in their five-match T20 International series against India.
Wolvaardt, who smashed half-centuries in the first two matches of the campaign, guided her team to victory with 21 balls to spare.
Chasing 193 runs to win, the hosts got off to a spectacular start, with openers Wolvaardt and Suné Luus racking up 72 runs in the powerplay. And they never looked back, with Luus holding up one end while the skipper ran rampant.
Wolvaardt, who was given a life when she was dropped by Smriti Mandhana on 31, went on to reach her half-century off just 23 balls – equalling the second quickest fifty by a South African – and she went on to reach her ton off 47 deliveries.
It was the fourth fastest century by a woman in T20 International cricket and the quickest by a South African, breaking her own national record off 52 balls which was achieved against Ireland in Cape Town last year.
She was eventually removed in the 16th over after making 115 off just 53 deliveries, but Wolvaardt did enough to guide her team to an impressive win. And she was well backed by Luus, who contributed 64 not out off 42 balls.
India innings
Earlier, after being sent in to bat following a half-hour delay to the start of the game due to lightning, Shafali Verma and Mandhana laid a solid foundation for India, sharing 68 runs for the first wicket.
The stand was broken in the ninth over when spin bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba had Mandhana caught by Nadine de Klerk at deep-midwicket after the opener had contributed 37 runs off 25 balls.
Verma eventually fell in the 16th over when De Klerk got a top edge to Annerie Dercksen at deep square leg, with the top order batter removed for 64 off 46.
After they were dismissed, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur hit 66 off 38, and though she was run out off the last ball of the innings, she carried her team to 192/4.
The fourth game of the five-match series between SA and India will be played at the Wanderers on Saturday.
