Anneke Bosch produced a career-best score of 65 not out off 63 balls to help the Proteas Women seal a dominant eight-wicket victory in the second One-Day International (ODI) against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, levelling the series 1-1 with one game to play.
Bosch, who was named the Player of the Match, took full advantage of the platform laid by captain Laura Wolvaardt (54) and Tazmin Brits (50) at the top of the order, as she combined for a 117-run partnership with Suné Luus (47 not out) to successfully chase down Bangladesh’s first innings score of 222/4 inspired by Fargana Hoque’s 102 off 167.
After losing the toss and being made to set a score, Bangladesh made another solid start with the bat as opening batters Shamima Sultana (28) and Hoque put on a first wicket stand worth 48 runs before Masabata Klaas (1/50) broke the deadlock in the 13th over.
Entering the fray at three, the visitors’ top-scorer from the first ODI in Murshida Sultana (8) didn’t last long this time around as she became Marizanne Kapp’s (2/21) first scalp of the day and the 150th of her career to leave Bangladesh 63/2. Kapp becomes only the second Proteas Women player to achieve the feat.
Despite losing two partners at the other end, Hoque continued to lead from the front in two subsequent half-century stands with Nigar Sultana (13) and Fahima Khatun (46*) as the experienced right-hander brought up her 11th career fifty.
In a 93-run stand for the fourth wicket, Hoque and F. Khatun saw the Tigresses over the 200-run mark for the second game running before Hoque raised her arms aloft for her second century in ODI cricket.
Hoque, through a run out, was the last wicket to fall for the visitors as they finished on a commendable 222/4 with F. Khatun unbeaten on 46* off 48 deliveries (3 fours).
Much like the first innings of the contest, the South African batters got off to a firm start with captain Wolvaardt and Brits seeing through the powerplay with no incidents before bringing up a 50-run stand for the first wicket in the 12th over.
Both batters kicked on to make their start count as Wolvaardt reached her 31st ODI fifty before Brits recorded her maiden ODI half-century to help take their opening stand into three figures.
With the score on 106/0, potential disaster struck for the home side as Ritu Moni (1/23) and F. Khatun (1/44) struck with consecutive deliveries to dismiss both batters.
In response to the setback, South Africa’s Luus and Bosch combined for a crucial rebuilding partnership for the third wicket, with both batters patiently nudging the ball around the park to help take the home side within 100 runs for victory.
With Bosch and Luus having played themselves in, the pair took the game away from their opponents as Bosch raced to her second ODI half-ton before surpassing her previous best to help South Africa secure the all-important victory with 29 balls to spare.
The series is set to be decided in the third and final ODI taking place on Saturday at Willowmoore Park in Benoni from 14h00.
