South Africa Women have reached the business end of the World Cup with back-to-back fixtures in Colombo, first against Sri Lanka on Saturday and then Pakistan on Monday. The squad landed from India on Thursday and, despite the obvious shift in conditions, there is a sense of reassurance: many of these players toured here only a few months ago during a tri-series also involving India.
“We kind of know the players, especially me as a bowler. I know there are ways to bowl, their strengths and their weaknesses,” said left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba on Friday afternoon. “So yeah, it was very important for me to actually read and to know the players.”
Mlaba has eight wickets from four matches, all on Indian pitches that rewarded accuracy rather than prodigious turn. Khettarama, with its slower, lower surfaces, should in theory be even kinder to spin, yet the 23-year-old is not getting carried away. “One thing that I normally do best is just sticking to my good lines and lengths, and the rest will take care of itself,” she added.
The Proteas have taken a slightly meandering route to three wins out of four. England thumped them in the opener; India and Bangladesh both dragged chases deep; only New Zealand were beaten with something to spare. Those contests have left scars but also a belief that no side is unplayable.
“I just feel like each and every team is very hard to play against because we played against Sri Lanka in a tri-series and also played against them at home, and they beat us in a few games,” Mlaba acknowledged. “They definitely have a good team – the spinners, they’re very good. And [Chamari] Athapaththu herself, she’s quality. So as a team we don’t underestimate any team, we just play our own game and try our best to win the game.”
South Africa’s coaches have quietly stressed two areas ahead of the weekend: closing out innings and rotating strike against spin. Bangladesh’s recovery from 78 for five to 232 was a painful reminder that pressure must be maintained in the middle overs. Mlaba sees the issue in broader terms: “That’s obviously part of the game. You know we as a team, you start off well and then sometimes you just lack here and there, but then it’s just a matter of trying to bring the team together and just try and focus and do well in that certain period.”
Colombo’s forecast is typically changeable – humid mornings, a threat of showers in the evening – so South Africa have built flexibility into selection. Another specialist spinner could join Mlaba if the pitch looks tired; equally, the extra seamer may be retained to exploit any new-ball nip under lights.
After Pakistan, the squad fly straight to Indore for a final-group meeting with Australia. Four wins should be enough for the semi-finals, five would remove all doubt. For now, though, the message is simple: draw on the recent Sri Lankan tour, trust the plans, and keep things calm – lines, lengths, repeat.
If the Proteas can do that, the equation might fall neatly into place.
