Proteas left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba rediscovered her form during the India series.
Image: BackpagePix
To most observers, the Proteas Women’s bowling unit has been the Achilles heel of the team for the longest time.
Even coach Mandla Mashimbyi has admitted as much, prompting the Proteas mentor to admit that after the recent tour to New Zealand that “we need to change how we think about our bowling attack.”
To Mashimbyi’s credit, he left “no stone unturned” by calling on the help of an old friend, Keshav Maharaj, to help guide the spinners in his team for the India series.
Maharaj made an immediate impact with both left-arm spinners Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon forming an instant bond with the Proteas Men’s veteran.
Such was the success of the experiment that Maharaj even travelled with the team up to Johannesburg for the third match of the series after the initial agreement only included the first two matches in Durban.
It’s likely that Maharaj would have stayed on even until the end of the series in Benoni on Monday had IPL giants Mumbai Indians not sent an SOS for him to replace New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.
Maharaj can be pleased with his work though, and would have seen from India that Mlaba (2/15) and Tryon (1/28) combined perfectly at Willowmoore Park, delivering their eight overs of left-arm spin for the combined figures of 3/43 in the fifth and final match of the series.
"Obviously, it's always nice to play in India. It's even nicer to play in India at home, you know. And I felt, we bowled really well, according to our plans," Mlaba said after the India finale at Willlowmoore Park.
"And, yeah, obviously, for the series, 4-1, even though we wanted 5-0, but, I mean, we'll take 4-1.
"We're still here because we won the series, and it's really going to help us build the momentum for the World Cup. I can't wait for the World Cup. I'm very excited."
Mlaba credited Maharaj for helping her get put a disappointing tour of New Zealand quickly behind her and providing her with the skill-set to bowl slower through the air in order to gain maximum traction off the surface.
"I was really working on, obviously, changes of pace and also adjusting my lines and my length," she said.
"I think with Kesh, obviously, we're working on bowling that wide and slower, and I think it really worked. And, yeah, I'm looking forward to, obviously, putting more work on it."
Captain Laura Wolvaardt was equally upbeat about the bowling unit's turnaround in fortunes heading to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, especially with the performances at the death.
“It was really impressive. Yeah, that was proper. I think our spinners were very good today (Sunday),” Wolvaardt said.
“Chloe and Lefty were excellent. And just the way that we were able to keep them quiet in the first 10 overs, it looked like they were trying to force it through but just couldn't and just more and more pressure built.
“I'm happy with how our death bowling has come along. When they finally sort of had to go at the end, I think we held our nerve nicely.
“I think in New Zealand, we had a tough time bowling at the death and it's been really nice to see that change this series," she added.