South Africa produced a superb all-round performance to thrash Scotland by 80 runs in their Group B match at the Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Wednesday.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, South Africa chalked up a tournament high 166-5 in their 20 overs with captain Laura Wolvaardt (40), Tazmin Brits (43) and Marizanne Kapp (43) all feasting on some weak bowling and poor fielding.

Left-arm spinners Nonkululeko Mlaba (3-12) and Chloe Tryon (2-22) claimed five wickets between them and off-spinner Sune Luss chipped in with 1-9 for a massive 80-run win that handed Scotland its third successive loss in its maiden appearance at the tournament.

Three of the top four South African batters – captain Laura Wolvaardt (40), Tazmin Brits (43) and Marizanne Kapp (43) — helped their team post the tournament’s highest total so far of 166-5 after Wolvaardt won the toss and elected to bat.

Wolvaardt and Brits combined in a rapid 64-run opening partnership off 45 balls before Kapp provided a late flourish with a 24-ball knock that featured six boundaries and helped South Africa cross the 160-run mark.

Katherine Fraser (1-15) broke the opening stand when she made amends for dropping Wolvaardt early and Olivia Bell took a sharp catch to dismiss the South Africa skipper in the eighth over.

Scotland came back briefly in the middle overs before Kapp played quickfire and provided South Africa a strong finish.

Scotland’s chase got derailed inside the powerplay when Tryon took simple return catches and dismissed Sarah Bryce (5) and Kathryn Bryce (7). Mlaba then sliced through the order in middle overs as Alisa Lister (12) and Fraser (14) could only reach double figures.

With its second win in three games, South Africa rose to No. 1 in group B with four points on a better run-rate than England, which also has four points after beating South Africa and Bangladesh in group matches.

Scotland is at the bottom of the table after defeats to Bangladesh and West Indies with a game against England remaining.

(with inputs from AP)

File picture of India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur
| Photo Credit: PTI

The big-hitting Harmanpreet Kaur will lead a 15-member Indian squad unveiled on Tuesday for the Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE from October 3.

Top-order batter Yastika Bhatia and spin all-rounder Shreyanka Patil were also included in the squad subject to fitness.

Star batter Smriti Mandhana has been named Harmanpreet’s deputy.

The ICC event was shifted to the UAE from Bangladesh following unrest in the South Asian nation owing to a students’ protest.

India, placed in Group A along with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, will be aiming for their maiden T20 World Cup trophy.

India squad for Women’s T20 World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk)*, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil*, Sajana Sajeevan.