Nadine de Klerk was the hero for South Africa, scoring a career-best 84 off 54 balls to lead the Proteas to a thrilling 3-wicket win against hosts India at the 2025 Women’s World Cup.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first.

South Africa bowled brilliantly in the first 40 overs. Chloe Tryon and the in-form Nonkululeko Mlabaept things tight, picking up key wickets and putting India under pressure.

But Richa Ghosh turned the game around with a stunning 94 off 77 balls. Her aggressive knock helped India recover from a slow start and finish strong, reaching a competitive total of 251.

Tryon was the standout wicket-taker for the Proteas, taking 3 wickets for 32 runs.

The Proteas had a poor start to their chase, losing wickets early and far too easily.

Most of the top order struggled, with Laura Wolvaardt being the only player in the top 6 to score more than 30. She scored steadily, but once she was dismissed, the innings looked to be falling apart.

However, Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon sparked a dramatic fightback which brought the Proteas right back into the game.

De Klerk played an absolutely outstanding knock, scoring 84 off just 54 balls. She ended with a 155.55 strike rate, hitting 8 fours and 5 sixes.

Her ability to find boundaries and rotate strike to keep the scoreboard ticking shifted the momentum completely, helping to lead the Proteas to a nail-biting 3-wicket win.

Written by: Aneeq Poole