‘Clear minds’: Records fall and milestones reached as Proteas crush Zimbabwe

Laura Wolvaardt bashed a record ton, Karabo Meso made her maiden half-century and Annerie Dercksen took her first five-wicket haul. With both players achieving milestones, teenager Karabo Meso said she and captain Laura Wolvaardt had fed off each other as they laid a match-winning foundation for the Proteas women during their 80-run victory over Zimbabwe in the third T20 International in Bulawayo on Tuesday. Opening batter Wolvaardt, who had struggled in the first two games of the series, hit a record ton. And wicketkeeper-batter Meso, who had a highest score of 14 runs in her previous 10 T20 International matches, achieved her first half-century. “It was just clear minds, not getting ahead of ourselves. She made me feel good about myself, I made her feel good about herself,” Meso said after the game. “She had been struggling for the last two games, but today was just about commitment and clear conversations… and she said: ‘You’ve just got to keep things simple and don’t try too hard because it will come naturally’.” Solid partnership After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Wolvaardt and 18-year-old Meso combined in an unbroken 173-run stand for the second wicket, which was the third-highest partnership by a Proteas women pairing for any wicket in the T20 format. The skipper made 126 not out off 62, while Meso hit an unbeaten 50 off 51, with the duo carrying the Proteas to 200/1. Wolvaardt broke the record for the highest score by a Proteas woman in a T20 International, surpassing the previous mark of 116 not out achieved by Shandré Fritz against Netherlands in Potchefstroom in October 2010. Proteas wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso. Picture: Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty Images Zimbabwe innings In response, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 120 in the final over of their innings, despite tail-ender Michelle Mavunga putting up a stubborn fight by contributing 41 off 23. The impressive Proteas attack were led by all-rounder Annerie Dercksen who took 5/15 for her first international five-wicket haul. Dercksen became only the third SA woman to take five wickets in a T20 International match, after Suné Luus and Shabnim Ismail, who both previously achieved the feat on two occasions. The SA team, who held an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20 series, were set to face Zimbabwe again in the fourth game in Bulawayo on Thursday (1.30pm start).