SA opener Lizelle Lee’s unbeaten ton followed by showers, hand Mithali Raj & Co six-run defeat via D/L method in third ODI; visitors lead series 2-1
SA players celebrate the fall of an Indian wicket during the third ODI at Lucknow yesterday. Pics/BCCI
Lizelle Lee’s super knock and a spell of sharp showers put paid to India’s hopes of taking the lead in the five-match ODI series when they lost the third game by six runs by D/L method much to the disappointment of a handful of spectators at the Atal Bihari Stadium. The rain came at a time when the match was tightly poised, with South Africa needing a further 26 from 21 balls. Despite Lee batting on 132, the match could have gone either way.
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South Africa’s Lizelle Lee en route her unbeaten 132 yesterday
Crucial knock
As South Africa chased a challenging 249, after opting to field, it was Lee who single-handedly took her team to victory. The importance of her knock can be gauged from the fact that the next best contribution was 37 by Mignon du Preez.
Lee’s knock from 131 balls with 16 fours and two sixes, is the first century by a South African against India in 25 ODI matches. The previous best was Lee’s own 92 in a World Cup match in 2017.
Though the match was played on the same wicket where India had won the second ODI, South Africa led by Laura Wolvaardt, in absence of unwell Sune Luus, preferred to chase a target on a used pitch. But in the end, the strategy paid dividends with the elements too favouring them. India owed their total to a fine 77 by Punam Raut and three knocks of 36 by skipper Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma.
Proteas fab in the field
However, tight bowling and excellent fielding by the visitors saw to it that India did not run away with the match, especially as at one stage, a total of 280 looked possible. But Mithali and Harmanpreet were unable to extend their good starts, and that proved to be a drawback.
India will have to make a strong comeback in the fourth match on Sunday against a team that is proving to be much stronger now from what they were two years ago when India whipped them 3-0 in the series played in Vadodara.
Brief scores
India 248-5 in 50 overs (P Raut 77, M Raj 36; S Ismail 2-46) lost to SA 223-4 in 46.3 overs (L Lee 132*, M du Preez 37; J Goswami 2-20) by 6 runs via D/L method
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