Watch every game of the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports; England face Bangladesh in their tournament opener on Saturday - live on Sky Sports Cricket from 2.30pm (first ball, 3pm)
Monday 7 October 2024 19:31, UK
South Africa produced dominant 10-wicket opening win over the West Indies to make an emphatic start to their quest to win the Women's T20 World Cup for the first time.
Having been set the relatively straightforward target of 119 by their opponents at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after the West Indies finished their innings on 118-6, South Africa - last year's tournament runner-ups to Australia - dominated with the bat at the crease and got to the required target without losing a single wicket with 13 balls to spare.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt (59 not out) scored the first half-century of the tournament on its second day and was soon followed by Tazmin Brits (57 not out) as the pair finished with an unbeaten partnership of 116 runs.
Left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba had earlier taken 4-29 with the ball, with team-mate Marizanne Kapp's 2-14 including West Indies captain Hayley Matthews after just 10 runs.
Explaining her approach to the game, player of the match Mlaba said: "For me it was just stay to the stumps, just don't leave the stumps. No matter what happens just make sure you don't leave the stumps.
"That really worked for me and the support from my mates, I will always be grateful for that."
Wolvaardt and Brits' opening partnership then ensured there were no nerves for South Africa in the run chase, and Mlaba added: "It was amazing!
"I was sitting there in the changing rooms because it's hot outside and I kept clapping 'Yes man, they did well!' I'm so happy for them."
The closest the West Indies got to breaching the Wolvaardt-Brits partnership was when spinner Karishma Ramharack could not hold on to a return catch from the South African captain.
After successive dismissals of Shemaine Campbelle and Chinelle Henry left the West Indies on 6-83 after 15 overs, Stafanie Taylor (44 not out) and Zaida James (15) rallied late on but the 2016 winners could not ultimately put up a sufficiently stiff run total.
After their comfortable opening win in Group B, South Africa will next play England on Monday in what should be a blockbuster encounter in Sharjah.
The West Indies will stay in Dubai to try and get points on the board against tournament debutants Scotland, who were comprehensively beaten by 16 runs by Bangladesh in Thursday's tournament opener.
Both matches are live on Sky Sports Cricket from 2.30pm ahead of the first ball from 3pm.
Watch every match of the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports, concluding with the final in Dubai on Sunday October 20.
