Tazmin Brits 114* helps South Africa bag NRR-boosting win over Netherlands

Just hours after India got past Bangladesh to maintain their second spot in Group A, South Africa remained on their tail in pursuit of a semifinal spot. Tazmin Brits slammed her maiden T20I ton to power her side to an 88-run win over Netherlands that put South Africa level on points with India, but only behind on an inferior NRR (0.734 to India's 2.268).

Laura Wolvaardt and the Brits formed an opening partnership of 121 runs in the right game to overcome her slow start to the World Cup. In the fifth over from Silver Siegers, Wolvaardt began with a boundary and Brits hit three more to quickly take South Africa past 50 inside the Powerplay. Despite not making any sixes, the pair maintained their high scoring rate as boundaries appeared at will. They brought their team to 94/0 at the halfway point, and there was no sign of slowing down after the Powerplay. In the 11th over, Brits got to her fifty off 35 deliveries.

Until Hannah Landheer bowled Wolvaardt out for a 36-ball 45 in the 14th over, Netherlands didn't seem to be able to break this first stand. Despite this, the Brits didn't give up and hit Frederique Overdijk for three boundaries in the next over to send South Africa to the last overs on 142/1. South Africa's No.3 batter Annerie Dercksen arrived with the agenda of smashing the ball around as her 16-ball 37 helped push the team past the 200-run mark.

In this stand, Brits still scored more, 50 out of the 87 they added. The first six of the innings was not hit until the 18th over of the game, which also resulted in the Brits' first T20I hundred. Dercksen scored 14 by tonking one in the same over. Hell broke loose against Siegers in the penultimate over of the innings as Dercksen started it with a four and a six and Brits closed it out with two sixes. Dercksen got two more fours - in the final over, that took the team to 208/1.

The Netherlands' openers then made a sincere effort to maximize the Powerplay and, at least initially, keep South Africa on their toes. With a flurry of fours, Phebe Molkenboer and Sanya Khurana, both just 21 years old, got going. Molkenboer went after Shabnim Ismail, Khurana hit them off Ayabonga Khaka as Netherlands had 50/0 in the Powerplay.

Another strong stand began to form even after Chloe Tryon broke through in the eighth over with the wicket of Khurana. Sterre Kalis joined Molkenboer to maintain regular boundaries and push the chase forward. Ismail then broke that 42-run stand when he bowled Kalis out in the 15th over.

The Netherlands went from 100/2 to 120/8 after a collapse, and Khaka struck three times in the final over to complete the rout. With England already qualified for the second semifinal, Group A now has a tantalizing setup thanks to their victory. On June 28, South Africa plays Bangladesh in their final league match. India's hopes will depend on their highly anticipated matchup with Australia later that same evening.