South African batter Tazmin Brits
Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
- Proteas batter Tazmin Brits says her side’s Women’s T20 World Cup final berth still needs to sink in.
- Brits produced a match-winning innings with the bat and in the field as the Proteas upset England in their semi-final at Newlands.
- It turned out to be a special day for every SA cricket fan as the Proteas women became the first senior team from these shores to make an ICC final.
Proteas batter Tazmin Brits was emotional as she never imagined producing a match-winning performance to steer South Africa to their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup final.
Brits had a magical day with the bat and in the field as South Africa booked their place in Sunday’s historic Women’s T20 World Cup final against Australia.
The hosts were underdogs heading into the semi-final but produced a brilliant six-run triumph over England in front of a roaring Newlands crowd.
FIRST TAKE | World Cup final Proteas are heroes: Brits, Ismail, Khaka, Wolvaardt… remember the names
Brits smashed 68 off 55 balls (hitting six fours and two sixes) before taking four catches.
“I don’t know. I still can’t believe it, to be honest with you, [it] feels like I’m still going to need to wake up in a sense,” Brits told reporters on Friday.
“I try not to get too emotional, but yeah, today was very, very special for me.”
Brits’ life story is filled with sporting highs and lows as she was once crowned world junior javelin champion at the IAAF Athletics Championships in Ostrava at 16.
She was set for the 2012 Olympic Games in London after throwing the qualifying distance before a horrific car accident dashed her dreams.
ALSO READ | ‘My whole career was ripped underneath me’: Proteas star Brits takes unique path to World Cup dream
However, Brits found solace in cricket and years later, the now 32-year-old will represent her country in a World Cup final against the defending champions.
The Proteas women have gone where no man has gone before, as they became the first senior SA team to reach an ICC World Cup final.
Brits admitted that there was always belief in the side as they dispelled the underdog tag with a semi-final upset.
“I think we’ve always believed that we could do it,” admitted Brits.
“We are more settled into it (the World Cup). We weren’t expecting to be technically where we are now, so it’s kind of like the underdog. The underdog ends up making you want to be better, so we just challenged the team and kept going.
Sunday’s final at Newlands starts at 15:00.
Discussion about this post