The 29th Match of Group 1 in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Lord’s, London, on June 28, 2026, delivered a masterclass in high-stakes pressure cricket as South Africa Women punched their ticket to the semi-finals. Facing off against a spirited Bangladesh Women lineup, the Proteas relied on tactical sharpness and the ice-cool composure of veteran all-rounder Marizanne Kapp to secure a hard-fought four-wicket victory. The nail-biting finish saw South Africa cross the line with just four balls to spare, keeping their World Cup dreams firmly alive.
Disciplined South Africa attack halts Bangladesh on a low score
Opting to bowl first under overcast London skies, South Africa’s bowling vanguard laid down an absolute marker from the very first delivery. Kapp set a flawless tone immediately, cleaning up opener Juairiya Ferdous for a golden duck. The pressure intensified exponentially from the pavilion end when the veteran Shabnim Ismail trapped Taj Nehar leg-before-wicket for 11, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 14 for 2 within the first four overs.
Bangladesh found boundaries incredibly hard to come by during the mandatory Powerplay, crawling to a cagey 23 for 2 by the end of the sixth over. Sobhana Mostary anchored the recovery with a gritty, top-scoring knock of 42 off 48 balls. Alongside Sharmin Akhter, who ground out 22 runs, Mostary constructed a stabilizing 50-run partnership that offered the Tigresses a glimmer of hope.
However, South Africa’s left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba broke the resistance with excellent tactical variations, finishing with stellar figures of 2 for 22. Mlaba dismissed Sharmin in the 15th over and later cut short Shorna Akter’s stay to choke any late-overs acceleration.
Kapp then returned to choke the death overs, finishing an incredibly economical spell of 1 for 9 across her 4 overs, which included a remarkable 17 dot balls. Despite an unbeaten, aggressive cameo from Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana, who smashed 32 off 20 deliveries to drag her team past the triple-figure mark, the disciplined Proteas attack restricted Bangladesh to a modest 117 for 5.
South Africa edge past Bangladesh in a nail-biting chase to reach the target
What seemed like a straightforward chase of 118 runs quickly transformed into a dramatic, see-saw battle. Mirroring the first innings, South Africa suffered an immediate shock when captain Laura Wolvaardt was clean-bowled for a golden duck on the opening delivery by Marufa Akter. Thrust into early damage control, Tazmin Brits (20) and Annerie Dercksen combined for a vital 50-run stand, lifting the Proteas to a comfortable 40 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay.
Dercksen played an instrumental role as the primary aggressor, striking six boundaries in a crucial 45 off 45 balls to earn MVP honors. Yet, Bangladesh refused to back down. Left-arm orthodox spinner Nahida Akter turned the game on its head, removing Brits and then successfully using a DRS review to dismiss a dangerous Dercksen in the 15th over. When Sanjida Akter Meghla trapped Dane van Niekerk lbw for 4, South Africa’s middle order began to sweat.
The final overs required absolute nerves of steel. Kapp contributed a steadying 16 before a brilliant piece of fielding by Sharmin resulted in a catastrophic run-out. When Nadine de Klerk fell to Ritu Moni for 15 in the penultimate over, tension peaked at Lord’s with South Africa sitting at 113 for 6.
Ultimately, it was the experienced Chloe Tryon who stepped up to the plate. Scoring an unbeaten 8 off 5 balls, Tryon calmly navigated the final over to steer South Africa home to 118 for 6, sealing a sensational semi-final berth.
It wasn’t a easy chase for Proteas women as Bangladesh fought hard until the very last moment, pushing the contest into the final over 👏#SAvBAN #T20WorldCup #SouthAfricaCricketTeam pic.twitter.com/gSLwgWeMmZ
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) June 29, 2026
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
