In a contest that was slow and flowing until the final delivery, South Africa maintained courage to defeat Pakistan By five wickets in the inaugural Women’s T20I at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom. While Pakistan captain fatima sana He played the best innings of his career under immense pressure Laura Wolvaardt And the hosts’ collective batting effort ultimately ensured a dramatic win.
The match had everything that a T20 contest promises – early collapses, fearless counterattacks, middle-order panic and finishing right down to the last ball.
Fatima Sana’s fearless fight took Pakistan to 180
After being invited to bat first, Pakistan’s innings seemed to be unraveling rapidly. The visiting team was looking towards a modest score after scoring 64 runs for 6 wickets in 10 overs. South African bowlers under disciplined leadership Kayla ReineckeKept attacking at regular intervals.
Reineke performed brilliantly with the ball, taking 2 for 13 in his four overs, which included a maiden. he removed gul firoza And Natalia ParvezWhereas Ayanda Hlubi And nonkululeko mlaba Pakistan’s troubles increased due to important successes.
But just when it seemed the innings was beyond repair, Sana came in and flipped the script.
As soon as he came to the crease in a critical situation, the Pakistani captain launched a tremendous counterattack. He hit seven sixes and nine fours in his breathtaking innings of 90 runs in 41 balls and did not let the innings fade away. His attack in the last five overs changed the course of the match. Mlaba, Hlubi and K over ayabonga blueprint This proved costly as Sana took advantage of any loose ends to force Pakistan to a competitive score of 180 for 9.
Although wickets fell at the other end, Sana’s fearless strokeplay ensured Pakistan maintained the momentum at the break.
Laura Wolvaardt anchors South Africa’s North
Chasing 181 was never going to be easy, but South Africa started confidently. Tazmin Brits Set the tone with early boundaries before the fall Hamna Bilal. Subsequently, Wolvaardt and listen luce Carried the innings forward with a fluent partnership of 62 runs.
Luus contributed a quick 32 runs before being dismissed. Nashra SandhuBut Wolvaardt continued to dictate terms. Mixing elegance with restrained aggression, he completed his half-century in 31 balls. By the score of 10 overs, South Africa were in a good position at 102 for 2.
However, the match became tight once again. Sandhu dismissed Wolvaardt for 61 runs and took wickets early. den van niekerk And lara goodall Brought Pakistan into controversy again. At 153 for 5 after 17 overs, South Africa needed 28 runs from the last three overs, setting up a nerve-wracking finish.
Kayla Reineke stays composed to earn dramatic win
Reinecke, already impressive with the ball, rose to the occasion with the bat. His unbeaten inning of 29 runs in 16 balls proved to be decisive. He hit important boundaries and a crucial six in the final overs to keep the equation in check.
With two runs required off the last ball, Reineke maintained his composure and bowled the ball over the ropes, leading to celebrations in the South African camp. The host team scored 185 runs for 5 wickets and registered a memorable victory by five wickets.
While South Africa celebrated a hard-fought victory, Sana’s brave 90 stood out as the emotional highlight of the evening – a captain who led from the front, and refused to surrender even in the face of adversity.
Also read: SA-W vs PAK-W, T20I series: Date, match time, telecast and live streaming details
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.
