Pakistan opener Sadaf Shamas scored an excellent 97 from just 82 balls to lead her side to a formidable total of 306-8 after the tourists were asked to bat first in the third and final ICC Championship one-day international against South Africa at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday morning.
Captain Fatima Sana belted glorious 60 from just 41 balls in the closing overs with three fours and five sixes as she perfected the straight drive and slog-sweep the total above 300 – more than 50 runs higher than the average score in Women’s 50-over cricket at the venue.
27-year-old right hander Shamas was proactive from the start as she put the Proteas attack under pressure during the Power Play and collected 16 boundaries and a pulled six on a slow pitch which did little to encourage strokeplay.
Fellow opener Gull Feroza was bowled off a no-ball from Ayanda Hlubi before mistiming a drive to Nadine de Klerk at mid off against Annerie Derckson (6-0-40-1) but Sidra Amin (41 from 64 balls) added 103 for the second wicket with Shamas before Sune Luus clipped her off-stump.
27-year-old Shamas thoroughly deserved a maiden century but Luus (9-0-42-3) struck again with a flighted delivery which coerced the batter to play too early and offer a straightforward return catch.
Umm-e-Hani’s promotion up the order bore little fruit with an arduous four runs from 20 balls before belatedly hitting out against Luus and holing out to long on where substitute Nondumiso Shangase held the catch.
Captain Fatima Sani drove Luus for a glorious straight six to kickstart her innings and played with a power which belied her physical stature to give her team a real chance of an upset, consolation victory.
But it was yet another below-par performance from South Africa in the field with 10 wides and five no-balls continuing to taint their results against the tourists with another six catches being dropped in the field.
South Africa hold an unassailable 2-0 lead after victories by 37-runs and 16-runs in Bloemfontein and Centurion respectively. South Africa won the preceding T20 International series by 2-1.
The fixture represents the sixth ‘Black Day’ to raise and awareness and funds in the fight battle against the scourge of Gender Based Violence in South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Faye Tunnicliffe, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wkt), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayanda Hlubi, Nonkululeko Mlaba
PAKISTAN: Gull Feroza, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin, Ayesha Zafar, Najiha Alvi (wkt), Fatima Sana (captain), Syeda Aroob Shah, Umm-e-Hani, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal, Tasmia Rubab.