Chloe Tryon smashed 32 runs off seven balls, but the Proteas Women were swept away by a seven-wicket defeat to India in the first T20, at Potchefstroom.
Tryon opened up, smashing four sixes and two fours, after the Proteas were struggling at 130-3 four balls into the 19th over. It gave her an impressive strike rate of 457.14, but the overall run-rate of 8.2 proved wholly inadequate.
Captain Dane van Niekerk’s 38 had led the way after the South Africans had been sent in to bat, but the total had been hampered by the fact that promising partnerships were cut short on a regular basis.
They had gone through the powerplay at 37 for the loss of Lizelle Lee (19), and while the Proteas had tried to score rapidly, they lost wickets too quickly. Mignon du Preez contributed 31 off 27, debutant Nadine de Klerk 23 off 25, and Sune Luus 18 off 13.
The Proteas hopes were lifted when they took wickets with successive balls in the fifth over, to have the Indians at 47-2, but India’s captain Mithali Raj played a solid innings of 54, well supported by Smriti Mandhana (28 off 15) Jemimah Rodriques (37 off 27) and Veda Krishnamurthy (37 off 22).
Photo: via Twitter
