Wolvaardt disappointed but optimistic after Proteas’ defeat in Women's T20 World Cup final

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt shared her disappointment after her team fell short in the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, losing to New Zealand by 32 runs. This marks the second consecutive time the Proteas have finished as runners-up, following their loss to Australia last year.

In the final, held at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, South Africa struggled to chase down New Zealand’s strong total of 158/5. Despite a promising start, they couldn’t keep the momentum and ended up with another second-place finish.

Wolvaardt acknowledged the fast start from New Zealand's top-order batters, particularly Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr, which put South Africa under early pressure. 

"I think we probably let them score a bit too many with the bat. "They came out with some real intent and I think it sort of caught us on the back foot a little bit," Wolvaardt admitted. 

She added that her team hoped to gain control by picking up early wickets but struggled to do so as New Zealand rotated the strike well and increased the run rate in the final overs. 

"After the Powerplay we had with the bat we thought game on but yeah just lost a bit of momentum outside the Powerplay," Wolvaardt reflected.

Despite the disappointment, Wolvaardt remained optimistic, highlighting the positives of the tournament. Both she and Tazmin Brits finished as the top run-scorers for the event, and Nonkululeko Mlaba was one of the leading wicket-takers, second only to Kerr.

Looking forward, Wolvaardt expressed confidence in the young team and their potential for future success. 

"It's obviously disappointing, but I think in hindsight, we still came second in a tournament with 10-odd teams so we still had a pretty good tournament,” she added.

"There are a lot of positives to reflect on. A younger group as well, so to be able to make the finals with a younger group I think is very promising, so there is definitely a lot to look forward to.

"I can't wait to see what we do in the next couple of World Cups. Reaching two back-to-back finals as well shows that we're doing something right," she concluded.