India Women’s winning streak in the ICC Women’s World Cup, 2017 was halted by South Africa Women in their fifth game of the tournament. The Mithali Raj-led team were beaten by 115 runs in Leicester. Skipper Dane van Niekerk (57 off 66) ensured SA a solid total after Lizelle Lee had set the stage with a fiery 65-ball 92. She then returned to wreck India’s middle-order. While wickets crumbled at the other end, Deepti Sharma made a fighting 111-ball 60 to extend the Indian innings until she was van Niekerk’s fourth scalp. Chasing the 274-run target, India were bowled out for 158 by SA. Chasing the formidable total, India lost Smriti Mandhana with just four runs on the board. After 43 runs, Punam Raut’s middle-stump was uprooted by A Khaka. Mithali, who is 34 runs away from becoming the highest run-getter in Women’s ODIs then joined Deepti in the middle. However, her opposite number bowled Mithali for a duck. A ball later, van Niekerk trapped Harmanpreet Kaur lbw for naught. Five runs later Khaka disrupted Veda Krishnamurthy’s stumps leaving India gasping on 53 for five. van Niekerk accounted for Shikha Pandey in the next, and a bit later Sushma Verma was run out with India reeling at 65 for seven. Goswami then joined Deepti, who had stoically stood her ground. Fighting an uphill battle, the pair plodded on and added 53-runs for the eighth wicket until the top-order bat holed out to long- on. The No 3 bat’s resistance was ended by van Niekerk leaving India on 118 for eight. While Goswami, stood her ground, Ekta Bisht was sent back by Sune Luus 37 runs later. Shabnim Ismail then claimed Poonam Yadav to wrap up the Indian innings with 24 balls to spare. Earlier, after Mithali elected to field, Pandey dismissed Laura Wolvaardt’s off-stump with an inswinger to leave the opposition on one for one. However, Lee unleashed herself on the Indian attack after taking the measure of the situation and found an able ally Trisha Chetty. The opener began by dispatching Pandey for two fours and a six in the sixth over to collect 16 runs off the over. Couple of overs later, similar treatment was meted out to Goswami and she continued to clobber the Indian attack. Although Yadav sneaked in a couple of quiet overs, SA were cruising along as the opener found the fence with ease. With SA comfortably perched on 92, Chetty departed hitting Bisht to mid-off. With Mignon du Preez, Lee added 42 until Harmanpreet struck to end the blitzkrieg. After dispatching the off spinner for couple of boundaries to get within eight runs of a century, the opener was trapped lbw for 92. Marizanne Kapp then joined du Preez in the middle in an effort to keep the momentum going, but India plugged the flow of runs. Brought back into the attack, Yadav had du Preez beaten in flight and stumped leaving SA on 160 for four. In the next over Harmanpreet castled Kapp. The spinners applied the brakes to peg SA back. With her team on 162 for five, van Niekerk set about the task of rebuilding the innings. With runs hard to come by, Luus departed playing a lofted shot towards mid-off. With 10 overs left and the side on 203 for six, Chloe Tryon joined her skipper in the effort to add quick runs to the tally. While Yadav continued to bowl a miserly spell, the batters kept the scoreboard moving by gleaning runs of the rest. Tryon blasted 24 off 18 before handing a simple catch to long-off off Pandey. An over later, van Niekerk was caught behind square-leg off the medium pacer, bringing to end a watchfully compiled knock. While Shabnim Ismail followed her back, A Khaka and M Daniels took SA to 273 for nine. Player of the Match: South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk (57 runs and 4/22).