All-round South Africa sweep series 5-0

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It was an improved performance from Bangladesh Women in the fifth and final one-day international, with two players making half-centuries. But South Africa Women had little trouble overhauling the target of 167, getting there with six wickets and 90 balls to spare.

Shamima Sultana, the wicket-keeper, and Rumana Ahmed, the captain, overcame a rocky start to take the visitors to 166/9 in 50 overs at Blomfontein on Monday 14 May. An opening stand of 79 between Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt set up the chase, with Wolvaardt’s unbeaten 70 settling a 5-0 series win for the hosts.

Put in, the Bangladesh batters had no response to the pace of Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp. The new-ball bowlers had them at 23/3 in the 11th over, before Sultana and Ahmed got together.

The duo batted nearly 25 overs to add 85 for the fourth wicket. Sultana brought up her maiden fifty, a 91-ball 53 that included five fours and a six. She fell to Masabata Klaas, trying to go big.

Ahmed added another useful 48 runs with Nigar Sultana, before she edged one to the wicket-keeper off Kapp. Her 74 was one short of her personal best.

A procession of wickets followed her back to the pavilion and denied Bangladesh a strong finish, but they will be pleased that for the first time on the tour they were not bowled out.

Ismail finished with 3/17, while Kapp had 2/21. Trisha Chetty, the wicket-keeper, was involved in four dismissals.

Lee and Wolvaardt were steady in their response till the 17th over, when Lee fell to a diving catch by Ahmed off the spin of Khadija Tul Kubra for a 49-ball 44. Two balls later, Kubra (3/37) sent Chetty back for a two-ball duck.

Wolvaardt and Dane van Niekerk, though, combined to add 49 for the third wicket to take the hosts close.

Wolvaardt brought up her 11th fifty-plus score with a boundary. The 19-year-old’s 96-ball 70 included a six and seven fours, the last of which were the winning runs.

The win was an apt gift from the side for their captain van Niekerk, who was celebrating her 25th birthday.