Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 19 (ANI): South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and skipper Laura Woolvardt reached the milestone of 3,000 and 4,000 ODI runs during the second match against South Africa at Bengaluru on Wednesday.
During the game, both batters smashed sizzling centuries that almost took South Africa to a victory in a run-chase of 326 runs but they were left short of the target.
Laura scored 135* in 135 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes. Her runs came at a strike rate of 100.
Kapp on the other hand was much more explosive, tonking 114 runs in just 94 balls, with nine fours and three sixes. Her knock had 11 fours and three sixes. Her runs came at a strike rate of 121.27.
In 97 ODIs, Laura has scored 4,087 runs at an average of 49.24 and a strike rate of 71.76, with eight centuries and 31 fifties. Her best score is 184*. She is SA's leading run scorer in women's ODIs. She also overtook New Zealand's Debbie Hockley (4,064 runs) to break into the top 10 run-scorers in women's ODI.
On the other hand, Kapp, the fourth-highest ODI run-scorer for South Africa, has scored 3,049 runs at an average of 34.64 and a strike rate of 76.20, with three centuries and 15 half-centuries. Her best score is 114.
With Indian skipper Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet also getting centuries, this is the first-ever instance of four players getting centuries in a women's ODI.
Also, the aggregate of 646 runs across both the sides is the highest in an ODI featuring these two sides in women's cricket.
Mandhana completed her seventh ton in the One Day Internationals and equalled the record of most hundreds for India in the 50-over format with former India skipper Mithali Raj. The left-hand batter played an innings of 136 runs from 120 balls that was laced with 18 boundaries and two maximums.
With this knock, she completed her seventh ODI century and equalled the record for most tons for India in ODIs.
Coming to the game, SA elected to field first. India lost Shafali Varma (20) and Dayalan Hemalatha (24) early, but centuries from Mandhana (136 in 120 balls, with 18 fours and two sixes) and Harmanpreet (103* in 88 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) pushed India to 325/3 in their 50 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba (2/51) was the top bowler for SA.
In the run-chase, SA was 67/3, but centuries from skipper Woolvardt (135* in 135 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes) and Marizanne Kapp (114 in 94 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes) took SA to the brink of a win. But Pooja Vastrakar managed to defend 11 runs in the final over and left SA four runs short at 321/6 in their 50 overs.
India is 2-0 up in the series with a game left.
Kaur was given the 'Player of the Match' award. (ANI)
