South Africa eye NRR boost against Bangladesh
South Africa's next three games are against teams in the bottom of the points table - Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Sruthi Ravindranath
12-Oct-2025 • 7 hrs ago
Big Picture - South Africa look to extend winning run
It's been a change of fortunes for both sides since their respective opening games at the Women's World Cup, 2025. After a crushing defeat in their opener, where they were bowled out for 69 against England, South Africa have turned things around in style, edging past New Zealand before putting themselves back as strong contenders by beating hosts India in an epic chase.
Bangladesh began with a statement win over Pakistan but have since faltered. They pushed England close and were thoroughly outplayed by New Zealand, leaving their campaign teetering.
South Africa's resurgence has been powered by individual brilliance. Tazmin Brits stood tall against New Zealand, while Nadine de Klerk delivered a game-changing performance against India, with Chloe Tryon playing a supporting role. Captain Laura Wolvaardt, too, found form at the top of the order. South Africa will hope their core batters can fire in unison as the tournament enters its crunch phase.
It's not just their batting that South Africa will be pleased with. Nonkululeko Mlaba has been the standout among bowlers, her left-arm spin proving decisive in the middle overs. South Africa's next fixtures are against Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, teams currently occupying the bottom three spots on the points table. With their net run-rate still in the negative (-0.888), South Africa will want more than just wins to stay in the hunt for the top four berth.
For Bangladesh, their bowlers have performed well so far in the tournament, boasting the second-best team average (23.26) behind only England, but the batting remains a concern. While two different players have registered fifties in the tournament, the lack of consistency has held them back. If Bangladesh are to challenge South Africa, they'll need their top and middle order to click.
Form Guide
Bangladesh LLWLL (last five matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWLLW
South Africa WWLLW
In the spotlight - Chloe Tryon and Nigar Sultana
After a quiet start to the tournament, Chloe Tryon chose the right moment to shine, showcasing her all-round skills against India. She first dented India's batting with a clinical spell of 3 for 23 by removing key players in Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Amanjot Kaur. Then she walked in with South Africa 81 for 5 in their 252-run chase, and helped script one of their most memorable wins. She managed all of this while nursing a calf niggle.
While Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana has led energetically on the field, her form with the bat has been a concern. Scores of 23, 0, and 4 in her last three outings, each ending with a soft dismissal, have left a void in Bangladesh's top order. She was full of praise for her bowling unit after the loss to New Zealand, but called out the team's shortcomings with the bat, stressing the need to build partnerships and show composure when chasing targets over 200.
Team news - Tryon fit for Bangladesh clash
With batting being a concern, will Bangladesh look to bring back the experienced Fargana Hoque at the top of the order?
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rubya Haider, 2 Sharmin Akhter, 3 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 4 Sobhana Mostary, 5 Sumaiya Akter, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Nahida Akter, 9 Rabeya Khan, 10 Marufa Akter, 11 Nishita Akter Nishi
South Africa will want to keep their winning XI. Tryon, whose calf required heavy strapping when she was batting against India, is fit and available to play.
South Africa (probable): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Anneke Bosch/Annerie Dercksen, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Tumi Sekhukhune, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko Mlaba
Pitch and conditions - Rainy and humid in Vizag
Visakhapatnam has been the most batting-friendly venue of this World Cup so far, with a high-scoring pitch laid out during the India-Australia clash. There is a chance of rain on Monday afternoon, but the weather is expected to clear up later in the day. The temperature will peak around 31°C with high humidity. Dew has been a factor in the evening and could influence the toss.
Stats and Trivia
- This will be South Africa's 50th World Cup game
- Fahima Khatun has 15 wickets this year. She needs to add six more to her tally to have the most for Bangladesh in a year
- Marizanne Kapp is two wickets away from becoming South Africa's leading wicket-taker in World Cups, going past Shabnim Ismail's 36.
- Fargana Hoque needs four more runs to complete 500 runs against South Africa. She will become the first Bangladesh player to hit 500 runs against any opponent in women's ODIs
Quotes
"With a bowling style like mine, what I try to do is bowl my variations as much as possible. Coming to the subcontinental teams, sometimes pace doesn't work, or rather, go your way. So, I think I try to change up my pace there and then see how that can actually work for me."
South Africa's Tumi Sekhukhune on her variations in pace
South Africa's Tumi Sekhukhune on her variations in pace
"I agree our batting collapsed [against New Zealand]. We've already discussed it with our batting coaches and among the players. We've been working on those weaknesses, and hopefully the batters will come back in the next match. We have other capable batters in the team. And our captain, Joty, always plays in a way that inspires us. I believe she'll do better from the next match."
Bangladesh's Nahida Akter on her team's below-par batting performances
Bangladesh's Nahida Akter on her team's below-par batting performances
Sruthi Ravindranath is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo