Lizelle Lee's form a cause of concern for South Africa at ICC Women's World Cup

Despite winning all four of their games so far in the ICC Women's World Cup 2022, the Proteas women's team will be very concerned about the form of their dynamic opener, Lizelle Lee.

At the start of the tournament, they were dealt a big blow when captain and leggie Dane van Niekerk was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. Subsequently, the onus fell on their two stalwarts, Marizanne Kapp and Lizelle Lee, to compensate for the loss. While the former is enjoying the form of her life with both bat and ball, the latter has been rather subdued in the tournament so far.

The blazing opener was expected to enjoy conditions Down Under given her imperial hitting ability on faster wickets. Boasting a strike rate of just under 85 in women's One-Day Internationals, she was expected to join forces with Laura Wolvaardt to give their team rocketing starts in the World Cup. However, she has only managed to score 28 runs in three outings.

Much of the burden has been borne by her opening partner Laura Wolvaardt, who has struck three fifty-plus scores in just four games. Even against Bangladesh, where she missed her fifty, Wolvaardt scored a 45 and had a seventy-run stand with captain Sune Luus. Apart from Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp has come to the party big time. Both against New Zealand and Pakistan, she played crucial innings lower down the order before contributing enormously with the ball to take her team home.

Lee vital to pulling off a heist

Despite a number of players putting their hands up at different moments in the tournament, Lee's struggles cannot be ignored. South Africa have not yet secured their place in the semi-finals and even if they do, the road after that is only going to get more difficult.

The onus on Lizelle Lee, who was named ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2021, is huge.

The dashing right-hander has the highest strike rate against Australia among the current international players. Her lowest strike rate, at 73, is against the West Indies women.

That strike rate picks up the moment she faces the top sides against the world. Against England, she scores at an average of 56 with a 90-plus strike rate. Even against her latest opponents, New Zealand, she enjoys a strike rate of 86.

Her high strike-rate at the top, coupled with her big-match temperament, is a must if the Proteas women are to create history Down Under.