Proteas women’s captain Laura Wolvaardt struck a superb half century but it was all in vain as lack of support from the rest of the batters allowed Pakistan to clinch a six-run win in the third and final T20I at the National Stadium in Karachi on Monday night.
It sealed a clean sweep of the T20I series for the hosts, after they won the first two T20s chasing, before managing to defend their total of 150 for five in the third game, with the Proteas ending their chase on 144 for five.
Wolvaardt did everything she could in the chase, striking 72 off 54 balls (9x4), but with only one other batter scoring at better than a run-a-ball it meant the Proteas fell short in the end.
Their chase got off to a good start once again as Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, 18 off 13 balls (2x4), took them to 33 for no loss after four overs.
Brits was then first to fall, bowled by Nashra Sandhu with just one run coming off the fifth over, before the Proteas reached 41 for one at the end of the powerplay.
New batter Anneke Bosch (10) didn’t last too long, getting a leading edge for Sandhu to take the catch off her own bowling to reduce the Proteas to 61 for two, with the visitors reaching the halfway mark on 73 for two.
Although Sune Luus (13) scored at less than a run-a-ball she crucially stuck with Wolvaardt, allowing her to do the heavy lifting in a 49-run partnership for the third wicket, before Luus finally fell, caught by Diana Baig off the bowling of Sadia Iqbal leaving them on 111 for three at the end of the 15th over.
Needing 40 to win off the last 30 balls and Wolvaardt still at the crease the Proteas were firm favourites, but after a boundary off the captain's bat halfway through the 16th over, the visitors fell away terribly.
Both Wolvaardt and new batter Nadine de Klerk (20*) just couldn’t find a boundary in the closing overs. They went 26 deliveries without a boundary, while Wolvaardt also lost her wicket, caught at deep midwicket in the 19th over, as they ended their chase with a whimper.
In the first innings the curse of the 150-run total batting first struck again as Pakistan reached 150 for five in their 20 overs.
In the opening two games the Proteas batted first scoring 150 for three on both occasions, which Pakistan managed to chase down.
The top four batters all got starts, with Sidra Amin, 39 off 39 balls (4x4) and Bismah Maroof, 39 off 34 balls (3x4) top scoring, while captain Nida Dar crashed a quickfire 36 off 20 balls (5x4; 1x6).
The Pakistan innings got off to a slow start, before openers Shawaal Zulfiqar (18) and Amin picked up the rate, taking their side to 41 for no loss at the end of the powerplay.
The Proteas struck off the first ball after that as Zulfiqar popped the ball to the left of bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba, with her diving to take a good catch low to the ground.
Maroof was the new batter in and along with Amin they set about a 49-run partnership, taking their side to 71 for one at the halfway mark before moving onto 90 for two at the end of the 13th over when Amin tried to slog sweep Nondumiso Shangase for six, only to find Bosch at deep midwicket.
This brought Dar to the crease and she took charge of a 49-run stand off 30 balls with Maroof as they upped the scoring rate towards the end of the innings.
Tumi Sekhukhune’s 19th over saw a double strike as she had Maroof caught at gully and Dar caught in the deep as Pakistan slipped to 140 for four, with the hosts managing 10 more runs over the final nine balls of the innings.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Britz, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk, Delmi Tucker, Nondumiso Shangase, Meike De Ridder, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune.
PAKISTAN: Nida Dar (capt), Shawal Zulfiqar, Sidra Ameen, Bismah Maroof, Muneeba Ali, Aliya Riaz, Umm-e-Hani, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal, Syeda Aroob Shah.