Lizelle Lee spoils Mithali’s party as SA win 3rd ODI

Chasing a competitive 249, Lizelle Lee starred for the visitors with her breathtaking knock of unbeaten 132 runs that came off 131 balls and had 16 fours and two hits over the fence

Lucknow: South African opener Lizelle Lee single-handedly destroyed India’s chances with a career-best unbeaten 132 as the home team lost by six runs via the Duckworth-Lewis (DLS) method in the rain-marred third women’s ODI of the five-match series here on Friday.

Chasing a competitive 249, Lee starred for the visitors with her breathtaking knock that came off 131 balls and had 16 fours and two hits over the fence. South Africa now lead the series 2-1.
Lee kept South Africa abreast with the required rate, which eventually proved crucial after rain played spoilsport with the visitors at 223 for four in 46.3 overs, six ahead of India via the DLS method.

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Earlier, Punam Raut struck a second successive half-century — 77 off 108 balls — to power India to a fighting score. Also, India skipper Mithali Raj (36) became the first Indian woman to score 10,000 international runs during a 77-run third wicket stand with Raut.

Raut struck 11 boundaries during her knock. This was after India lost big-hitting opener Jemimah Rodrigues (0) in the second delivery of the innings. Raut joined Smriti Mandhana (25 off 27) at the crease and the duo once again came to India’s rescue, sharing 64 runs off 70 balls for the second wicket to take the team forward.

Mandhana, however, couldn’t convert her start into a big score. Mithali, only the second internationally to complete 10,000 runs across all formats, departed soon after reaching the major milestone, flicking a Anne Bosch delivery straight to Mignon du Preez at mid-wicket. Her 36 runs came off 50 balls and she hit five boundaries in the process.

Brief scores: India 248/5 in 50 overs (Punam Raut 77, Mithali Raj 36, Harmanpreet Kaur 36, Deepti Sharma 36 no; Shabnim Ismail 2/46) lost to South Africa 223/4 in 46.3 overs via D/L method (Lizelle Lee 132 no, Mignon du Preez 37).