Dane van Niekerk’s all-round performance helped South Africa trounce Sri Lanka by 110 runs and register its first win in the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup here on Wednesday.
A combination of poor shot selection and temperament saw Sri Lanka make a mess of its chase of 228, with only Chamari Athapaththu offering some resistance with an elegant 63.
With just one other batter in Sandamali Dolawatte (21), getting to double figures, the chase was as good as over even before Sri Lanka had reached the halfway mark at the Barabati Stadium.
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After a listless batting display against England, South Africa raised its game to post a competitive 227 for eight in 50 overs after being asked to bat.
The revival was led by Shandre Fritz (64) and Cri-Zelda Brits (52), who struck aggressive half-centuries, after South Africa crawled to 67 for three in the 24th over.
Van Niekerk too played her part, contributing a fine 38-ball 40 to help South Africa cross 200. She also took four wickets.
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The scores: South Africa 227 for eight in 50 overs (Mignon du Preez 37, Cri-Zelda Brits 52, Shandre Fritz 64, Dane van Niekerk 40, Seneviratna three for 44) bt Sri Lanka 117 in 36.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 63, Dane van Niekerk four for 18).