Historic victory pumps up the SA Women’s side

Sydney – In a thrilling turn of events, the Proteas Women find themselves on the cusp of making further history as they head into the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against Australia at the North Sydney Oval today.

After securing their maiden 50-over victory by 84 runs via the Duckworth Lewis Stern system (DLS) against Australia in the previous encounter, the series stands level at 1-1.

The multi-format tour points are distributed six to four in the host’s favour, setting the stage for a riveting conclusion to the ODI series.

In the pre-match press conference, all-rounder Eliz-Mari Marx (below), after making her first appearance in the ongoing tour during the second ODI, shared insights into the team’s mindset and their determination to secure the series after the memorable win.

“We were happy about that historic win in Australia. We were all happy and obviously having a team song and just having a few celebrations with each other, which was nice. Leading up to this last ODI, I think we are all excited.

“Yes, 100%. It is definitely not done. There’s one game to play and I think it’s all to play for. If we as a team can stick to what we did the previous match, we can go and win the series,” Marx explained.

Discussing the Proteas Women’s strengths in the second ODI, Marx commended her fellow bowlers and their pivotal role in securing the memorable victory.

“I think our bowling unit stuck to their plans. We’ve been talking about it leading into the T20Is and other ODIs and this was probably the best performance that the bowlers delivered.

“I’m happy with that and hopefully we can make it 2-1,” the 21-year-old said.

After Marizanne Kapp’s Player-of-the-Match performance in the second ODI, which included a knock of 75 off 87 balls and a return of 3/12 with the ball, Marx spoke highly of her team-mate’s impact on the national side.

“A world-class player and someone that I take a lot of learnings from,” she said.

In addition to seeking their first-ever series win against Australia, the Proteas Women enter the final ODI with the aim of extending their unbeaten record in 50-over series for the 2023/24 season.

They won their last three series outings against Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.