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Dercksen fireworks power Proteas women to T20 series win over Pakistan

cricket19 September 2024 09:25| © MWP
By:Ross Roche
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South Africa © @TheRealPCB (X)

Cracking fireworks from Proteas women youngster Annerie Dercksen powered them to a comfortable eight wicket win over Pakistan in the third and final T20I at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Pakistan on Friday to seal a 2-1 series win.

The 23-year-old Dercksen came in with the Proteas in a tricky position and proceeded to hammer her way to an unbeaten 44 off 23 balls (6x4, 2x6) to smash them over the line in style with nine balls to spare.

“It was definitely hot out there, so scoring ones wasn’t really on my mind today, but Wolfie (captain Laura Wolvaardt) and Anneke (Bosch) set it up really well at the front and I could come in and continue that, so all credit to them,” said player of the match Dercksen.

“This series has been really good prep going to Dubai (for the women’s T20 World Cup). I think the weather will be similar as well. So this series leading into the World Cup has been really good prep for us.”

After the Proteas won the first T20I by 10 runs, and Pakistan bounced back to win the second by 13, it all came down to the third game to decide the series.

The visitors won the toss and sent the hosts in to bat, with them managing a competitive 153/5 in their 20 overs thanks to a few solid contributions over their innings, setting the Proteas a tricky total to chase down.

Despite the loss of opener Tazmin Brits, stumped by keeper Muneeba Ali off the bowling of Sadia Iqbal for a first ball duck with the score 3/1, Wolvaardt, 45 off 37 (2x4, 2x6) and Bosch, 46no off 35 (6x4, 1x6) set the platform for the chase.

The two batters combined for an impressive 81-run stand off 56 balls at the top of the order and if it wasn’t for Bosch suffering from heat exhaustion and going off not out after 10 overs, it might have been an even easier win.

Having gotten her side over the 100-run mark, Wolvaardt then inside edged Tuba Hasan onto her own stumps in the 14th over, leaving them on 103/2 and in a precarious position with both set batters off the field.

However Dercksen received the perfect partner in Sune Luus (14no) and they immediately broke the back of the chase over the next three overs.

Luus powered a four off the second ball of Iqbal’s 15th over, with Dercksen then pumping her back over her head for a six and a four off the last ball as 16 came off the over.

Dercksen then cracked a four and swiped a six over cow corner off Nida Dar’s 16th as 13 came off it, and three consecutive fours from Dercksen in Fatima Sana’s 17th saw them pick up another 15 runs, as they cruised to 148/2, needing just six runs to win off the final three overs.

It was fittingly Dercksen who finished proceedings in the penultimate over, crashing Diana Baig through the offside for four to take them to their target.

In the first innings there were no huge scores, but steady contributions throughout from Sidra Amin, 37 off 40 balls (3x4), Ali, 33 off 26 (4x4) and captain Sana, 27 off 17 (2x4, 1x6) helped them to a competitive total.

A solid 50-run opening partnership between Ali and Gull Feroza (18) was broken in the seventh over when Luus caught Feroza off her own bowling, followed by Ali in the ninth after some smart fielding between Luus and Brits reduced them to 59/2.

Amin and Dar (12) then combined for a 33-run stand, before Dar was bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba in the 13th over as they slipped to 92/3.

That brought Sana in to join Amin and they added 46 to the total, before both fell in quick succession, Sana caught by Bosch off the bowling of Tumi Sekhukhune and Amin bowled by Chloe Tryon with them 140/5 in the 19th over.

Aliya Riaz (8no) and Hasan (6no) then made sure that they would get over the 150 mark and give their bowlers something to defend.

PAKISTAN WOMEN: Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (w), Sidra Amin, Sadaf Shamas, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Tuba Hassan, Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig

SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Anneke Bosch, Suné Luus, Chloé Tryon, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba

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