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The Proteas’ triumph over India on Sunday was a critical step on the path to the playoffs, but jeopardy still looms even for what are theoretically their easiest group matches at the T20 women’s World Cup. On Tuesday, the South Africans took a 270km trip south from Manchester to Bristol ahead of their match against the Netherlands on Thursday evening. The Dutch are the lowest ranked team at the tournament and, while they’ve given a good account of themselves in group games against Bangladesh, India and Australia, they should be no match for the Proteas.Sunday’s six-wicket win against India, will have lifted spirits in the South African camp after a difficult opening week. The loss to Australia in their tournament opener was a real back-to-earth outcome given the confidence they had before the tournament.They followed that with a scrappy and narrow win against Pakistan, which, because it was achieved in the last over, has left their net run rate in the negative.It is in that category that SA’s future in this tournament is in jeopardy. They should win against the Dutch and then Bangladesh, but will need to do so by significant margins to boost their net run rate.In one scenario it may not matter, because if they win their remaining fixtures and Australia do the same, both of them would qualify for the playoffs. But Australia’s last group match is against India, which before the tournament was cited as one of its most mouthwatering clashes.If India wins, then the sides qualifying for the semifinals would be based on net run rate and ahead of the last few group games. The Indians and Australians each have a big advantage over the South Africans.Not that the Proteas are taking anything for granted. “We still have a strong Bangladesh team and the Netherlands. You can’t look too far ahead,” said Sunday’s match-winner Marizanne Kapp.“We have to rock up for every game and play our best cricket. If we take care of that, we will worry about the rest later. We can’t start thinking about it if India loses. Now our focus moves to the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Those are good teams in their own right.”Given her personality and everything she put into beating India, Kapp will undoubtedly be making it clear to her teammates that they daren’t take their foot off the pedal now.If anything, Sunday’s outcome should be the platform for the rest of the tournament for South Africa. The runners-up in the last two T20 World Cups have struggled with the bat in this competition, which is the primary reason their net run rate is so poor.People like Wolvie [Laura Wolvaardt] have still not fired. People are due. That’s the good thing about our team. I can’t say that one player has performed in every single game, so we will have to put in the hard work, because we know it will come at some stage— Marizanne KappThey capitulated against Australia and then stumbled around chasing just 127 against Pakistan.“We seem to start World Cups slowly, a little shaky,” said Kapp, adding that even against India, the team was short of its best. “People like Wolvie [Laura Wolvaardt] have still not fired. People are due. That’s the good thing about our team. I can’t say that one player has performed in every single game, so we will have to put in the hard work, because we know it will come at some stage.”Kapp and Dane van Niekerk are the only survivors in the current Proteas squad who faced the Dutch in the sole T20 International between the two nations in 2010. Kapp took one wicket in a 115-run win in Potchefstroom on that occasion.A similar margin of victory in Bristol would be most welcome for the Proteas and assuage some of the concerns about the net run rate.
