Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt starred as South Africa beat Ireland by 16 runs in an 18-over Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match in Loughborough, successfully defending 136 for 8 as Ireland were bowled out for 120 in 17.4 overs.
The result mattered as a sharp tune-up ahead of the tournament, with South Africa’s captain setting the tone with the bat before their experienced attack, led by Kapp, closed out the chase under pressure in a shortened contest.
Wolvaardt’s 65 lifts South Africa to 136
Asked to bat first, South Africa finished on 136 for 8, built around a commanding innings from Wolvaardt. The captain struck 65 off 37 balls, an effort that included seven fours and three sixes and provided the backbone of the total.
Ireland’s bowlers kept chipping away to prevent South Africa from running away with the innings. Cara Kelly was the most effective, returning 3 for 29, while Ava Canning delivered an especially tight spell for 2 for 8. Those figures helped ensure South Africa’s scoring bursts were repeatedly checked, and the innings ended with eight wickets down rather than a late surge.
Even so, Wolvaardt’s boundary-hitting ensured South Africa had a defendable total on the board in the reduced-overs format, setting up a clear target for Ireland to chase in the second innings.
Kapp leads the defence as Ireland fall short
Ireland’s reply ended on 120, with South Africa dismissing them in 17.4 overs to complete the win. Kapp led the way with 4 for 24, producing the key breakthroughs that prevented Ireland from building sustained partnerships.
Leah Paul top-scored for Ireland with 29 and was the only batter to pass 20. Beyond her, only four Ireland batters reached double figures, underlining how regularly South Africa struck to keep the chase from gaining momentum.
Shabnim Ismail, who had recently reversed her retirement, added support with 1 for 25 from her four overs, while South Africa’s overall discipline ensured the required rate remained out of reach as wickets continued to fall.
Other warm-up results: New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Scotland win
In other Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up fixtures, defending champions New Zealand beat Bangladesh by 68 runs in Loughborough after posting 193 for 3 and restricting Bangladesh to 125 for 8. Melie Kerr hit 51 not out off 28 balls, while Nensi Patel claimed 4 for 18. Bangladesh captain Sultana top-scored with 32 not out off 33 balls.
Sri Lanka also registered a comfortable win, beating Pakistan by nine wickets after chasing 169 with eight balls to spare. Captain Chamari Athapaththu made 94 and shared a 159-run stand with Vishmi Gunaratne (63). Chethana Vimukthi took 4 for 31 for Sri Lanka, while Pakistan captain Fatima Sana top-scored with 37 from No. 7.
Scotland beat Netherlands by 58 runs at the county ground in Derby, making 163 for 5 before bowling Netherlands out for 105. Frederique Overdijk was 28 not out for Netherlands, while Scotland’s Katherine Fraser, Gabriella Fontenla and Abtaha Maqsood shared seven wickets between them in the chase.