CRICKET

Lee key for Proteas

AMID the pain of a sobering defeat on Tuesday, the Proteas could at least take solace from the fact that in Lizelle Lee

they possess a superstar to rival anyone in the women’s game.

England’s Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor struck centuries for the world champions at Hove, but Lee’s consistency has been remarkable.

The South African opener has been in superb form during this Royal London ODI series, following up her undefeated 92 not out in the first ODI with 117 off 108 balls.

It follows her performances in the recent Bangladesh home series, where she bludgeoned 244 runs at an average of 61.

It is not just the immense appetite for runs that makes the Ermelo slugger a potent force, but also her destructiveness. Lee’s second 50 at Hove came off 22 balls, showcasing her power, especially through and over the leg-side. There were five sixes towards mid-wicket, with Sophie Ecclestone bearing most of the brunt as Lee bashed successive maximums off the spinner, including a blow that smashed into the roof of the nearby apartments.

“The way Lizelle went about her innings was simply awesome. Her striking was just insane! The way she set up her innings was brilliant. I couldn’t fault her innings at all,”Proteas captain Dane van Niekerk said after her team fell 69 runs short chasing a record 332 runs for victory.

“I thought we were on target at the halfway stage, especially the way Lizelle was hitting the ball. But unfortunately the middle-order did not come to the party.”

The Proteas head to Canterbury for tomorrow’s decider still in with a chance of becoming the first South African women’s team to win a series in England.