A devastating all-round display from Marizanne Kapp led to South Africa's historic 84-run ODI win over Australia, with the hosts now sweating over the fitness of Ash Gardner who has suffered hamstring tightness and is a doubt for next week's one-off Test. In Perth.
A week after collecting her second Belinda Clarke Award in three years, Gardner was forced off midway through South Africa's innings having already taken two wickets as the visitors reached 6/229 after two rain delays left the hosts chasing a revised target of 234 off 45. sums.
The big-hitting player who is accustomed to smashing huge scores at North Sydney Oval was listed at number six but has dropped down the order to eight with wickets falling in the middle.
She hit her first ball to a boundary and joined Kim Garth (42 not out) for the ninth-highest partnership ever in women's ODIs (77) before she was eventually caught out for a gallant 35.
The duo rescued Australia from what looked to be a record defeat as they slipped to 8-71, with Gardner moving rather well despite her discomfort.
With Australia clinging to a 6-4 lead in the multi-format series, the selectors will not want to risk Gardner with the only Test starting next Thursday worth four points.
Teammate Ellyse Perry also suffered a stomach bug on Wednesday and didn't look at herself when she walked out to bat after bowling just two overs in front of a very disappointing crowd in midweek.
Golden hat
She was forced to retire hurt during the first ODI after blocking a stray elbow, but little would you know it, Kapp destroyed the Australians with one of her brilliant individual performances.
Kapp has been one of the most dominant forces in the WBBL and showed her class on Wednesday with a crucial knock of 75 which she then backed up with a stunning opening spell that rocked Australia's top order.
The South African removed quick openers Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield but saved her best for Beth Mooney who rocked back middle stump as Kapp made the extraordinary figures of 3-7 from her first four overs.
Her stunning effort helped South Africa beat Australia in an ODI for the first time, while it was Australia's first loss in North Sydney in 15 years, with the two teams facing off at the same venue on Saturday.
Fine drop
The Australians rarely put a foot wrong in this area, but they were well below the level of some of their biggest names who suffered some costly falls in slippery Sydney conditions.
While Mooney held on screaming to remove Laura Wolvaardt in the first over, her teammates collected five catches allowing South Africa to double what they got in the first ODI.
Ellyse Perry was guilty of a rare landing when she put Anneke Bosch up one, making the most of the first fall of her life and an overturned LBW decision to score 44 points.
Georgia Wareham then snuffed out the absolute sitter when Sune Luus was at two, while Alyssa Healy and Alana King also squandered regulation opportunities.
There was an on-field highlight as Healy stuck her 100th dismissal behind the stumps.
