Johannesburg
Laura Wolvaardt produced another masterclass with the bat as South Africa Women defeated India Women by 23 runs in the fifth and final Women’s T20I to seal a dominant 4-1 series victory at Willowmoore Park.
Leading from the front, Wolvaardt smashed a superb 92 off just 56 deliveries, guiding South Africa to a competitive 155 for 6 after opting to bat first. Her brilliant knock, decorated with 11 boundaries and two sixes, earned her both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards.
South Africa suffered an early setback when Tazmin Brits departed for just two runs, while Annerie Dercksen was dismissed without scoring. However, Wolvaardt steadied the innings with composure and authority.
She shared a crucial partnership with Sune Luus, who contributed 23 runs from 23 balls. Useful lower-order contributions from Chloe Tryon and Sinalo Jafta helped the hosts finish strongly.
For India, Renuka Thakur and Shree Charani claimed two wickets each, while Deepti Sharma also chipped in with two scalps.
Chasing 156, India endured a poor start as Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues fell cheaply, placing the visitors under immediate pressure.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur attempted to rebuild with a patient 22, while Bharti Fulmali launched a spirited counterattack with 40 off 30 balls. Richa Ghosh also struck a quickfire 25, but India never managed to gain sustained momentum.
South Africa’s disciplined bowling attack kept the chase firmly under control. Nonkululeko Mlaba starred with figures of 2 for 15, while Nadine de Klerk picked up two wickets.
Having already secured the series earlier, South Africa completed a commanding campaign with another clinical performance, underlining their superiority across all departments throughout the five-match contest.