Nadine de Klerk Shines as Bangladesh Stumbles in Women’s World Cup 2025 Clash Against South Africa

South Africa triumphed over Bangladesh by three wickets at Visakhapatnam’s ACA-VDCA Stadium on Monday, advancing to third place in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 standings, and consequently relegating India. This defeat, Bangladesh’s third consecutive loss, left Nigar Sultana’s team in sixth place.

Major Highlights from the Bangladesh vs. South Africa Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 Match:

Nadine de Klerk to the Rescue Again!

Nadine de Klerk once again played the hero for South Africa. With the team struggling at 198 for seven during the chase, the 25-year-old calmed the nerves and brought control, scoring 37 runs off 29 balls. With 35 needed from the final five overs, de Klerk maintained her cool, eventually clinching the win in style by hitting Nahida Akter for a six over long-on with three balls remaining.

Bangladesh’s Batting Improvement and Shorna’s Power Hitting

Bangladesh’s top order showed stability, building partnerships that provided their innings with solidity. Openers Fargana Hoque and Rubya Haider set up a foundation with a 53-run partnership. Later, captain Nigar Sultana Joty and Sharmin Akter Supta added 77 runs in the middle overs. The innings gained momentum thanks to 18-year-old Shorna Akter, who smashed an unbeaten 51 from just 35 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes to guide Bangladesh to a competitive total of 232 for six.

Fielding Blunders

Dew and sporadic light rain created challenging fielding conditions, which Bangladesh could not overcome. Several catches were missed, particularly a crucial one in the penultimate over of South Africa’s innings. De Klerk lofted a shot off Rabeya Khan towards long-off, where Shorna Akter misjudged and dropped an easy catch. Although she saved the boundary, it wasn’t enough to save the match. If that catch had been taken, Bangladesh might have celebrated its second victory in the tournament.

Published on October 14, 2025.