Laura Wolvaardt © Getty Images
South Africa are in complete command of the first Women’s T20 international in Cape Town, as captain fantastic Laura Wolvaardt led them to a record Newlands score of 220-2 against Ireland.
Wolvaardt finished unbeaten on 115 of 56 balls after a signature innings that took the Irish bowling to pieces in blustery conditions, with the series getting off to an explosive start.
Sune Luus proved the perfect partner as she crafted a career best 81 off 51 balls from the top of a reshuffled order.
A first series meeting on South African shores between the pair saw Proteas coach Mandla Mashimbyi tinker with his line up for the opener.
The returning Faye Tunnicliffe came in at the top of the order off the back of some searing domestic form, alongside the promoted Luus.
But her comeback lasted just five balls as she feathered a wide one from Jane Maguire through to keeper Amy Hunter to depart for a single.
It took until the 16th legal delivery for Luus to find the boundary for the first time, guiding tidily around the corner down to long leg.
Wolvaardt, in at three, drove impeccably through extra cover before swatting through midwicket, away through point and then square leg to put Maguire on the back foot with a quartet of boundaries.
And she took a particular shine to Lara McBride, when the young spinner came on in the sixth over.
A straight six showed off her smart footwork before a brace of dominant fours either side of the wicket helped take 20 off the over, the partnership beyond 50 and her team to 63-1 at the end of the powerplay.
The spinners were taking all the pace off the ball but it didn’t halt the duo’s progress.
Wolvaardt went inside out for her second maximum over long off before Luus danced down to clear cover for four.
The skipper brought up her 50 off just 24 balls, claiming the SA record for the fastest half century in the process.
And she celebrated by treating the newly introduced Louise Little with absolute disdain, launching over long off once again before following up with a sumptuous on drive as 20 came from the tenth.
It left the home side 107-1 at the halfway stage – quite the acceleration from their muted 7-1 after the first two overs.
The slow left-arm of Maguire had been providing a modicum of control amid the mayhem.
Until Luus reminded everyone her skipper wasn’t the only show in town, whacking down the ground for six, caning a full toss around the corner for four and then taking a single to go to her sixth international 50 from 35 balls.
She was picking up speed as Ireland disintegrated, smacking another brace of boundaries off Maguire, who was a touch unlucky to finish her four-over stint with 0-36.
Ava Canning was taking a caning from Luus, who went to her highest T20 score in reaching 75 in the 16th over.
But Canning stuck to her task and finally had Luus bowled off an underedge in the 18th over, just as she was beginning to eye a maiden century.
The bat-raising opportunity instead fell to the unstoppable Wolvaardt a couple of balls later, reaching three figures off just 52 balls with a clip into the onside.
She was joined by former Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk (21 off eight), who ended her four-year international exile with a gorgeous ramp shot for four and a trio of more industrial slugs down the ground.
Wolvaardt brought up the 200 with the first ball of the final over, picking the midwicket gap with a slog-sweep.
She followed up with a smash through the offside before heaving one emphatically over wide long on for her fourth six, leading her side to a monstrous total.
SOUTH AFRICA: Faye Tunnicliffe, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Nondumiso Shangase, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
IRELAND: Gaby Lewis (capt), Amy Hunter (wk), Orla Prendergast, Laura Delany, Leah Paul, Christina Coulter Reilly, Louise Little, Ava Canning, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride.
