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Sticking to the basics will be key, according to Proteas top-order batter Anneke Bosch, as the tourists look to bounce back and secure a series victory in the third and final women’s one-day international (ODI) between South Africa and New Zealand in Wellington starting at 12am on Friday (SA time).
After winning the first match of the series last week, in a dramatic last-ball thriller, the Proteas were handed a narrow defeat in the second game, with the hosts wrapping up the win with two balls to spare.
Having lost the preceding T20 series, Bosch said there was a lot to play for in an attempt to close out their tour in style, especially with points in the ICC Women’s Championship (the qualifying campaign for the 2029 Women’s World Cup) on the line.
“A series win is up for grabs, and we really want that and we’re after that,” said Bosch, who top-scored for the Proteas with an ODI career best (91 runs) in the second game of the series earlier in the week.
“And there are points for the ICC championship, so it’s a really important game. Hopefully it will be another good one and hopefully we’ll be better than the previous game.”
Proteas not overthinking things
It was important, Bosch felt, for the SA team to ensure they did not allow the pressure to get to them in the series decider.
“I think we just need to keep things simple and stick to our plans and the basics, not trying to overcomplicate or overthink it,” she said.
“And we must take our chances in the field as well because we’ve let ourselves down in the field a couple of times in this series. So we need to be sharp with that, and just stick to our plans and execute them.
“Hopefully we can break partnerships earlier when they’re batting and restrict them to a low score or just keep it a bit tighter.”