Laura Wolvaardt almost single-handedly pushed South Africa to a modest total of 155-6 after winning the toss and choosing to bat first in the fifth and final T20 International against India at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Monday.
Wolvaardt finished with an astonishing 92 not out from just 56 balls with the next highest score coming from opening partner Sune Luus who contributed a run-a-ball 23 to an opening partnership of 75 before the wheels came off in dramatic fashion in the second half of the innings.
When Wolvaardt was finally returned to the striker’s end she continued to be devastating with 16 runs coming from the final over and 29 from the final two which has given the home side a chance.
The South Africa captain struck 11 fours and two sixes to take her tally for the series to a remarkable 330 runs which included an unbeaten 115 to clinch the series in the third match.
Luus was smartly stumped by Richa Ghosh off left arm spinner Shree Charani (2-22 and Tazmin Brits (2) played over a yorker and was bowled by the same bowler.
Annerie Dercksen (0) reverse-swept off-spinner Deepti Sharma straight to short fine leg and Anneke Bosch (8) missed a straightforward off-break from Sharma (2-37) and was bowled.
The procession of wickets continued with Wolvaardt stranded for too long at the non-striker’s end, Chloe Tryon (12) slapping a slower ball from outstanding seamer Renuka Singh (2-21) to cover and Nadine de Klerk (1) missing a pull shot to be trapped lbw.
Sinalo Jafta finally offered her captain the support she needed in the last couple of overs contributing 16* from just eight balls with two fours.
The home side completed victory in the series by winning the first three matches but lost the fourth at the Wanderers by 14-runs.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Eliz-mari Marx, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
India: Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wkt), Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur