Winning breeds winning, and the Proteas Women will be determined to build on the consistency they have displayed of late when they face Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup at the R Premedasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday (11.30am).
Laura Wolvaardt’s team have been irrepressible while winning all of their last four matches.
The embarrassing opening loss to England is now a distant memory as their success in the next four games has seen them climb the eight-nation table to secure a semifinal berth with two matches to spare.
With only Pakistan and Australia to play in the round-robin stage, SA will have the opportunity to experiment.
But why do that when their current game plans and personnel have brought on so much consistency, says seamer Masabata Klaas.
“We are ready and we are just going to keep on doing what’s been working for us and obviously go there with the positive mindset of winning tomorrow’s game,” she told a media conference on Monday.
“So, every game is important to us, starting from tomorrow’s game.”
Klaas has not been knocking opponents over, which is evident in her return of only two wickets in four matches.
But what she does so well is stem the tide of runs. Her economy rate of 4.27 runs per over is the best of the SA bowlers.
She often creates pressure for her teammates to grab the wickets at the other end.
When asked what made her so special to the team, she replied: “I’m that kind of bowler, whereby I’m saying I’m attacking,” Klaas said.
“When I bowl, I focus on one thing and that one thing is to bowl dot balls because obviously if you bowl dot balls, the pressure will come.
“And I’ll say I’m special in my own way because I can get bounce and I can nip the ball in and out. So that’s what makes me so special.”
In the lead-up to the World Cup, SA played Pakistan in three warm-up games, winning the first two comfortably.
But Klaas said they would not be taking their foot off the pedal.
I don’t know if you realise we’ve been dominating in the middle overs, but now our openers are coming into play.
“Obviously, Pakistan are the strong team. We cannot just go there and think that we’re going to have a walk in the park.
“The one thing that's going to work for us is to stick to basics and do what we’ve been doing from day one of the World Cup.
“So we’re not going to take them for granted.”
The form of the Proteas’ opening batting pair had been a cause for concern, but both Wolvaardt (60 not out) and Tazmin Brits (55 not out) had a welcome return to form, leading the team to a 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their last game on Friday.
Klaas said it was a relief to see them get among the runs.
“We are always happy to see our openers come into play.
“I don’t know if you realise we’ve been dominating in the middle overs, but now our openers are coming into play.
“So, imagine if everyone can just come into play, how dangerous we are going to be as a team.
“So yeah, I’m happy that we have the two opening batters doing well.”
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