Bristol, June 24 (IANS) With a semifinal berth still within reach, South Africa will look to solidify their prospects when they take on an already eliminated Netherlands in their 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup at the County Ground on Thursday.

The Proteas, who finished as runners-up in the previous two editions of the showpiece event, commenced their ongoing edition journey with a bruising 65-run defeat against Australia. Though they scraped past Pakistan by two wickets, South Africa put in their best performance when it mattered the most by securing a crucial six-wicket victory over India in Manchester.

Currently placed third in Group A with four points from three games, South Africa trail India on net run-rate (-0.546). The task for Laura Wolvaardt’s unit is simple – they must secure massive victories in their remaining fixtures against the Netherlands and Bangladesh to stay in contention for semi-finals, especially if India wins their upcoming matches.

All-rounder Marizanne Kapp remains the lynchpin for South Africa after smashing a sensational, match-winning 81 not out off 45 deliveries in the previous outing against India. What will also make the Proteas happy is Marizanne and her new-ball bowler Shabnim Ismail being at their sharp best.

Meanwhile, debutants Netherlands have bowed out of semifinal contention after suffering three consecutive defeats. Following a fighting six-wicket loss to Bangladesh, the Associate nation suffered heavy defeats against heavyweights India and Australia by 95 and 98 runs respectively.

While skipper Babette de Leede leads the tournament run-charts for her side with 134 runs, the Dutch bowling unit faces a monumental task in stopping a formidable Proteas batting line-up from making a tall score on a hot day in Bristol.

Squads:

Netherlands: Babette de Leede (c), Caroline de Lange, Frédérique Overdijk, Hannah Landheer, Heather Siegers, Iris Zwilling, Isabel van der Woning, Lara Leemhuis, Myrthe van den Raad, Phebe Molkenboer, Robine Rijke, Rosalie Lawrence, Sanya Khurana, Silver Siegers, and Sterre Kalis

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Kayla Reyneke, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon, and Dane van Niekerk

–IANS

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