Dubai: Just over a year after suffering a heartbreak in front of home fans in the finals of the Women's T20 World Cup, South Africa have a shot at redemption as they prepare for another showdown, this time in UAE.
A lot has changed in the one year, beginning with a change in leadership as Laura Wolvaardt stepped in to replace Sune Luus, growing into the role over the past year and a half.
"I think when she (Wolvaardt) first came in, she probably was a little bit nervous," teammate Chloe Tryon said in the press conference on the eve of the final.
"She's a lot more calmer now and I think she's more clear on how she wants to do things. And she's got backing from senior players, which is really good," Tryon said.
More importantly, the team has stormed into the final after a win over the mighty Aussies, a win that should give their confidence a major boost as they head into the final.
But Tryon chose to stress on the calmness within the group and learnings from the last few months, which has seen the Proteas team progress really fast, an ICC report said.
"I feel like we've been in situations where it hasn't gone our way. I feel like we've learnt a lot quicker than what we have been before," she said.
"I feel that we also feel like we have nothing to lose. We didn't really come into the tournament, being nervous at the fact that we had played a final and there was a big expectation on us to get to another final. I just feel like we narrowed it down and just focused on every single game that was in front of us," Tryon said.
"We've played a lot of games leading up to this and I think we've been in situations where it hasn't really gone our way, but we found ways to try and bounce back as quick as possible," she said.
"So, I feel like players have been exposed to a lot of that and they just want to do better every single game," Tryon said.
A case in point was Anneke Bosch, who had an ordinary tournament until the semi-finals, but came into her own in the big knockout game thanks to the consistent backing from the management.
Bosch's brilliant half-century paved the way for a stunning upset as the six-time champions Australia got knocked out before the finals for the first time in 15 years.
"Anneke Bosch came into the semifinal and did what she did when she had been feeling a little bit under pressure in the games prior to that, and probably got a lot of criticism on how she had been playing," Tryon explained.
"So, to come out and face that and do what she did. So, you know, different players are putting up their hands," she said.
"I think before we'd kind of get a little bit flustered and now there's a lot more calmness in the group because I feel like the girls have been doing this a long time but I feel like the youngsters as well have soaked that up and are really doing well with that," Tryon said.
The heartbreak in 2023 is still fresh in South Africa's memory, but with another run into a similar position within a year, the group has become tightly knit.
"It was obviously a tough pill to swallow then. We had to go back and really reflect on how we want to progress from that and how we want to get back into a final," she said.
"I think there was a lot of individuals that just want to work on their games and I felt that coming into this World Cup we just wanted to be nice and calm. I feel like we've grown a lot as a unit and as individuals and knowing our roles," Tryon said.
"But I feel like the way we've been playing is quite calm. And I feel like that's been really good in our group. And everyone's just been gelling really well together," she added.
Sunday’s final is scheduled for 18:00 local time and will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
