Marizanne Kapp delivered another sizzling all-round performance, elevating what is already a legendary career and, more importantly on Sunday, ensuring the Proteas remained in contention at the T20 World Cup. Kapp made a career-best unbeaten 81 in a tense run-chase that saw SA reach a target of 159 in the final over to secure a six-wicket victory. It was a triumph achieved without a major contribution from Laura Wolvaardt, who was dismissed at the end of the power play. But Kapp, who before the tournament had said others needed to contribute more with the bat to help the captain, took on the responsibility herself, managing the run-chase superbly and transferring pressure at all the right stages against the Indian bowlers. She had three slices of good fortune, with India missing a trio of catches, but that should not detract from the extraordinary way she batted. SA have often folded once their captain has been dismissed, but there was a steely look in Kapp’s eye the moment she arrived at the crease. She messed with Harmanpreet Kaur’s tactics throughout, cleverly using the ramp/sweep to pick up boundaries behind square on the leg-side. Crucially for SA, in a tournament in which they had hitherto struggled for partnerships, in the most critical match so far, Kapp and Tazmin Brits — returning to the starting team in place of Sune Luus — added 97 runs for the third wicket.Brits made 40 and deserves credit for the grit she showed. She struggled with form and confidence coming into the tournament, and Sunday was far from fluent, but the fact that she was able to stay with Kapp and forge that partnership was crucial. At the start, Brits battled and was partly responsible for the sluggish start made by SA. She hit five singles off the 11 balls she faced in the power play and while Wolvaardt faced the bulk of the bowling while the fielding restrictions were in place, the fact that she was asked to do virtually all the scoring created pressure.India’s ace spinner Sree Charani was the beneficiary, delivering a double wicket maiden in the sixth over, that included catching Wolvaardt off her own bowling for 20. SA scored only 25 runs in that period and it took Kapp to change the momentum. She offered India those chances on 9, 25 and then 65, and those misses summed up a crucial difference between the sides. SA’s catching and general fielding was much-improved from the first two matches.There were several diving stops while Nadine de Klerk, Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka all held onto good catches, providing timely breakthroughs. The Proteas also delivered their best bowling performance of the competition, led unsurprisingly by Kapp. They had to absorb punishing blows from Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana in the power play, but the kind of smart thinking missing from the match with Australia was on display at Old Trafford this time. Mandhana’s dismissal came two balls after she’d walked down the wicket and clipped Kapp through mid-on for a boundary. In response Kapp brought wicket-keeper Sinalo Jaftha up to the stumps, forcing the elegant Indian opener to locate a new area to score; she tried the fine sweep, missed the ball and was bowled. Shabnim Ismail’s impact was as profound and as clever as her new ball partner. Verma had smashed four fours and six in a typically muscular innings, but her long-term problems with the short ball proved her undoing when a quick bouncer from Ismail was gloved to Jaftha. Kapp picked up 2/27 and Ismail’s performance was her best in the tournament as she claimed 2/28.