‘We're the best’ – Ismail on super partnership with Kapp
Ismail and Marizanne Kapp were outstanding in South Africa’s first game of the tournament, against Sri Lanka.
Shabnim Ismail set the table for the Proteas with a devastating spell than ensured her teammates would chase a double digit score and for that reason, she is today's Player of the Match 👏 #WT20 #SLvSA pic.twitter.com/5V3w3Fn1pG
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) November 13, 2018
Kapp returned 1/13 in four overs, and Ismail 3/10 – the combined 8-0-23-4 broke the back of the Sri Lanka batting, keeping them to 99/8. Kapp (38) and captain Dane van Niekerk (33*) then took South Africa past the post with seven wickets and nine balls in hand.
Ismail and Kapp are among the finest new-ball bowlers in the women’s game, and to Ismail, it was hardly a surprise that they did so well.
Congrats #ProteasWomen great start. Well bowled @shabnim_ismail 🙌🏽🙌🏽 #ICCWomensWorldT20
— Ashwell Prince (@ashyp_5) November 13, 2018
“I always say myself and Marizanne Kapp go hand in hand with the bowling. I told everyone in the world that we're the best opening partnership and we complement each other very well. And the way we performed today just displayed our talents,” said Ismail after her Player of the Match performance.
The win was important for South Africa not only because it gave them a winning start to the World T20, but was also a turnaround of sorts after two poor outings – especially with the bat – in the warm-ups.
It’s all over in St Lucia! Congratulations to the #ProteasWomen on their 7-wicket win! Also huge congratulations to @shabnim_ismail on her Player of the Match award. #AlwaysRising #WeAreMore #WatchThis pic.twitter.com/Gen1zWx8AN
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 13, 2018
“There's a positive mindset within the camp now. Just for us to portray and just go through the World T20 and keep getting the points on our side and just play, have fun and play cricket,” said Ismail. “The batters always lay it down. I think the way we capitalised today in the middle showed character. And hopefully we can go throughout the tournament and keep backing the batters.”
Good as South Africa’s performance with the ball was, there was a big 24 in the extras column, with 19 wides.
SL v SA: Full match highlights
“We always speak about the extras in T20 … I think it was 25 extras, but we're definitely going to work on that and maybe if it holds up we can go to the next maybe and just work on our extras,” said Ismail.
Meanwhile, as South Africa wait for their next fixture, against the Windies, Ismail has a target to achieve: “Well, the coach always tells me he wants me to reach the 130 (kph) mark. So I think I need to basically go to the gym and pump some iron so I can get up there.”
