Captain Dané van Niekerk recorded the incredible figures of 4/0 in 3.2 overs as the Proteas Women continued their good start to the Women’s World Cup with a 10-wicket thrashing of the West Indies on Sunday.
Van Niekerk won the toss and chose to bowl first at Grace Road in Leicester, and the decision was the correct one as the Windies crashed to 16/5 in the eighth over.
Pace bowler Shabnim Ismail started the rot for the ladies from the Caribbean by claiming the wickets of Hayley Matthews and star batter Stafanie Taylor for four runs each.
As if that wasn’t bad enough for the West Indies, the world’s best bowler Marizanne Kapp stood on a hat-trick as she dismissed Reniece Boyce and Kyshona Knight in consecutive deliveries.
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Although Kapp was unable to get a third scalp for the hat-trick, she clean-bowled Deandra Ditton for a duck in the same over.
The game was all over as a contest by then as the ruthless Proteas dominated, but skipper Van Niekerk still had time to make a significant impact.
Tossing up her leg-spinners, Van Niekerk wrapped up the tail to end with the astonishing numbers of 4/0 in 3.2 overs as the West Indies were bowled out for 48 in only 25.2 overs, their second-lowest total and sixth lowest of the World Cup.
South African openers Laura Wolvaardt (19 not out) and Lizelle Lee (29 not out) were untroubled as they knocked off the required runs in 6.2 overs.
The Proteas beat Pakistan in their first match, with the second against New Zealand washed out.
They next face hosts England in Bristol on Wednesday (11.30am SA time start).