South Africa need 127 runs to win their Group 1 ICC Women’s World T20 fixture against Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham – a remarkable total considering half of Pakistan’s innings consisted of dot balls.
Having lost their opening fixture against Australia by a hefty 65 runs, and not wanting to spoil the mood of Laura Wolvaardt playing in her 100th T20I, the Proteas needed a strong response and they wasted no time in signalling that intent.
Marizanne Kapp rallied from the get-go, trapping Muneeba Ali leg before with the first ball of the match before finishing her opening over with another wicket, clean bowling Gull Feroza as Pakistan slumped to 3-2.
She was at it again with her second over, sending Ayesha Zafar on her way – also caught leg before – perhaps leaving the batter to regret hitting Kapp for four off the previous delivery.
Shabnim Ismail played the role of run rate husher, rather than aggressor, keeping her bowling end tidy, ensuring the pressure stayed constant and the next mistake was just around the corner.
And around the corner it was, with Ayabonga Khaka forcing the error as Natalia Pervaiz chopped onto her stumps, fishing at a wide delivery with her feet doing their best to impersonate a tree taking root.
Having lost 4-14 inside the first four overs, Pakistan needed something resembling a partnership, but just 14 balls later their innings lurched into the abyss again.
Iram Javed drilled a cover‑drive to mid‑off, where Nadine de Klerk recovered sharply from a misfield to capitalise on communication chaos between the batters.
Javed had committed, Rameen Shamim was ball-watching before realising the single was on. By the time Shamim set off, De Klerk’s throw bounced perfectly into Sinalo Jafta’s gloves, and Shamim’s desperate dive fell short as the bails came off.
Chaos then followed chaos with Javed the run-out peddling merchant on this occasion. She’d darted off for a single, but was forced to retreat as her batting partner did not budge and a direct hit from Kayla Reyneke ending her stay as the disarray deepened to 33-6 in the seventh over.
Ismail’s return spell earned her a wicket with Sune Luus taking the catch at backward point. At the halfway mark, Pakistan were 47-7 and by the end of the 10th over, that had become 50-8.
By that point, it looked like South Africa would recover from their 65-run defeat against Australia by simply eliminating the possibility of that margin occurring, but captain Fatima Sana and Tuba Hassan had other ideas.
Sana gritted out a half century as the pair combined for a 71-run stand, much to the frustration of South Africa’s bowlers.
SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (C), Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Kayla Reyneke, Sinalo Jafta (WK), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
PAKISTAN: Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (WK), Ayesha Zafar, Iram Javed, Natalia Pervaiz, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (C), Rameen Shamim, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal.