Annerie Dercksen shone with an all-round performance, but South Africa were knocked out of the Servo Cup Tri-Nations Series after falling 23 runs short against India. Image: Netwerk 24.
(The Post News)– Protea women were eliminated from the Servo Cup Tri-Nations Series after a 23-run defeat to India in Colombo on Wednesday. Despite a determined chase, they couldn’t reach India’s imposing total of 337-9.
Chloe Tryon, standing in for the injured Laura Wolvaardt, admitted post-match that basic errors cost them the game. She pointed to inconsistent bowling and subpar fielding as key reasons for the loss, adding that the team conceded unnecessary runs and failed to apply pressure early on.
India’s charge was led by Jemimah Rodrigues, who smashed her second ODI century—123 off 101 balls—with support from Deepti Sharma’s 93. Both batters capitalised on South Africa’s erratic lines and missed chances in the field.
Tryon acknowledged that the team “leaked” 30 to 40 runs due to fielding lapses and said the bowlers strayed from their plans, especially in the opening powerplay.
Still, there were bright spots. All-rounder Annerie Dercksen delivered a standout performance. She bowled economically, taking 1/36 in six overs, before striking 81 off 80 balls to keep South Africa in the hunt. Her 72-run partnership with Tryon was the team’s highest of the match.
Tryon praised the team’s fight, saying their mindset was to focus on building the chase in small stages. She noted the resilience shown, even as victory slipped away.
South Africa will face Sri Lanka in their final group game on Friday, hoping to finish the tournament with a consolation win and stronger execution of the basics.
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