South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp believes she is only just warming into her WBBL campaign after stunning the Hobart Hurricanes on the weekend.
Kapp, after a slow start to the tournament, exploded on Sunday, leading the charge for the Scorchers with both bat and ball, taking 4-10 and hitting 18 not out as they responded with a crushing win over Hobart.
The big victory came a day after Perth capitulated against the same side at the WACA, falling two runs short of Hobart’s total of 8/137 despite looking in control for most of the contest.
“We were very disappointed with ourselves; you probably win 10 out of 10 games with the position we were in on Saturday,” Kapp said.
“It was good for me and our team on Sunday, it felt like everyone got a go, and everyone got a chance to sharpen up their skills.”
Kapp admits she hasn’t had the best start to her time with Perth, struggling with the bat and taking fewer wickets than her normal lofty standards in the WBBL. But Sunday’s all-round effort proved the South African’s match-winning capabilities, with Kapp saying the slow start to her campaign was due to the nerves she had about switching from the Sydney Sixers.
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“I was a bit nervous, I don’t really change teams too often, I felt like I had a point to prove so I put a bit too much pressure on myself,” she said.
“Hopefully now all of that is gone and I can keep on contributing.”
The South African overseas player holds the key to Perth shooting for the finals, with her ability to run through line-ups with the ball in hand and take apart bowling attacks with the willow critical to the Scorchers’ success. Despite struggling to take her middle-order opportunities to start the campaign, Kapp believes she’s set to correct her poor form.
“I’ve had a few opportunities and not taken them, I was disappointed with the first few games I played for the Scorchers,” she said.
“I’ve been hitting the ball really well, I feel like the last game I played was what I needed from a batting and bowling point of view, and moving forward hopefully I’ll be a bit more consistent.”
The Scorchers, despite showing mixed form throughout the tournament so far, are now set to push for a top two finals finish in the run home of WBBL|07.
While the Scorchers have a bevy of top-end talent that could take them to a WBBL title, Kapp is placing the faith in emerging prospects heading towards the pointy end of the tournament.
“We’ve definitely got the team to win the title, it’s not been the same people who have been performing each game,” Kapp said.
“Of course, Mooney and Devine have been great, but look at someone like Lilly Mills, someone who’s been taking wickets for fun. I feel like we’re moving into the back end and everyone is starting to perform well and things are looking good for us.”
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