South Africa Women edge Bangladesh Women by 4 wickets

South Africa Women won by 4 wickets with four balls remaining against Bangladesh Women in Match 29 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, chasing 118 after Annerie Dercksen’s 45 guided the reply and Marizanne Kapp delivered another all-round contribution to earn Player of the Match honours.

The result kept South Africa Women’s strong World Cup run moving after earlier wins in Matches 11, 18 and 24, while Bangladesh Women were left to reflect on a competitive total that could not quite hold up. With this being Match 29 of 33 in the tournament, the result extends the race for the knockout places rather than deciding anything outright, and there is still plenty to come, beginning later on Sunday with Australia Women vs India Women before the knockout matches on June 30, July 2 and July 5.

Bangladesh Women post 117 for 5

Bangladesh Women assembled 117 for 5 from their 20 overs, built around Sobhana Mostary’s 42, with useful support from Nigar Sultana’s 32 and Sharmin Akhter’s 22. On a day when timing sustained acceleration was not straightforward, those three contributions gave Bangladesh a platform and enough substance to ask questions of South Africa’s chase.

South Africa’s bowlers kept the innings from breaking open. Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with 2 wickets, while Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail claimed 1 wicket each. Those strikes, spread across the innings, helped limit Bangladesh to a target that left the match in the balance rather than allowing them to pull away at the finish.

Dercksen takes South Africa Women through

In reply, South Africa Women reached 118 for 6 in 19.2 overs. Annerie Dercksen led the chase with 45, the highest score of the match, while Tazmin Brits made 20 and Kapp added 16 in a pursuit that never fully relaxed Bangladesh’s grip but ultimately stayed under control.

Bangladesh’s attack kept the pressure on for most of the innings. Nahida Akter took 2 wickets, while Marufa Akter and Ritu Moni picked up 1 each, ensuring South Africa had to work deep into the chase. But Dercksen’s innings proved the defining contribution, giving South Africa enough momentum to hold their line through the closing overs and complete the chase with four balls to spare.

Key moments

Bangladesh’s first-innings effort was shaped by Mostary’s 42 and Nigar Sultana’s 32, which gave them a defendable score after 20 overs. South Africa answered through Dercksen’s 45, the one innings of real authority in the chase, while Kapp’s contribution at both ends underlined why she was named Player of the Match.

For South Africa, the turning point was their ability to keep Bangladesh to 117 despite three batters crossing 20. For Bangladesh, the chase remained alive thanks to Nahida Akter’s 2 wickets, but South Africa’s depth was enough to finish the job in the 20th over.

Key performers

• Annerie Dercksen: 45 for South Africa Women in the chase
• Sobhana Mostary: 42 for Bangladesh Women
• Nigar Sultana: 32 for Bangladesh Women
• Marizanne Kapp: 16 in the chase and 1 wicket, Player of the Match
• Nonkululeko Mlaba: 2 wickets for South Africa Women
• Nahida Akter: 2 wickets for Bangladesh Women

NerdSports Stat: South Africa Women have now won four matches in this tournament before the semi-finals, and three of those victories have come while chasing.

What it means

South Africa Women came away with another important win in the group stage and strengthened their position as the tournament moves toward its final week. Bangladesh Women stayed competitive throughout, but this defeat leaves less room for error with only a handful of group matches remaining across the competition.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup now moves on quickly. Later on Sunday, Australia Women face India Women in Match 30, before the knockout phase begins on Tuesday, June 30.

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