Pakistan 122 for 5 (Riaz 52*, Sana 37*, Sekhukhune 2-15, Kapp 2-22) lost against South Africa 132 for 4 (Brits 56*, Luus 27, Iqbal 3-34) by ten runs. In the opening match of the three-match series, South Africa defeated Pakistan by ten runs thanks to an outstanding debut performance by eighteen-year-old Sheshan Naidu, who made a wicket with her second ball and a fantastic catch at short fine leg. Neither the men’s nor women’s T20I at this ground produced the “ten or fifteen runs over 150” that South Africa’s skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, had hoped for, and after Pakistan made 47 for 5, it did not appear that they needed it.
But a stellar effort from Aliya Riaz and Pakistan’s new captain Fatima Sana sealed the match with an unbroken 75-run stand off 45 balls. It meant South Africa had to work hard to defend their score and it didn’t help that they dropped three catches, another area in which Wolvaardt pointed to room for improvement.
Wolvaardt made the first mistake in the fifth over when Pakistan had already lost 2 wickets for 14 runs. Nida Dar was on 4 when a delivery from Tumi Sekhukhune went to mid-off. Wolvaardt got to the ball but couldn’t hold on to it. Later Chloe Tryon dismissed Sana off Sune Luus on 10 and then Luus caught Sana in the deep off Ayabonga Khaka on 22. Happily for South Africa, none of that stopped them from winning, although it was a much closer victory than they had expected.
South Africa’s experienced players performed well: Tazmin Brits scored her third T20I half-century in four innings to lift South Africa from 20/2 in the third over, Luus hit 27 off a ball (her first score over 20 this year) and Tryon made an unbeaten 15 off 7 balls. A 63-run partnership off 61 balls between Brits and Luus held the innings together.
Pakistan had an early lead with spin when Sadia Iqbal dismissed Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch off successive balls, but they may need to rethink their reliance on slow bowling. In total, Pakistan bowled 16 overs of spin and played just one seamer – Sana – while Diana Baig was benched on a turning track.
While Pakistan restricted South Africa to 132 for 4, the importance of variety in the attack was evident during South Africa’s bowling. Their two senior pacers – Marizanne Kapp and Khakha – bowled their full quota of four overs each and five other bowlers tried their hand. Kapp started with a maiden and took a wicket off her second ball when Gul Ferozza hit her in the air. From the other end, Khakha conceded just one run in her first over before Kapp struck again, dismissing Sidra Amin to make the score 6 for 2. Muneeba Ali broke the pressure with a boundary off the eighth ball and Nida hit another boundary and then the magical moment arrived.
Muniba tried a fine flick off Sekhukhune, Naidu dived, reached behind her shoulder, caught the ball and held on despite her elbow hitting the ground. It took multiple replays to confirm what she knew: she had pulled off a wondercatch. She was brought on to bowl in the eighth over and had Sadaf Shamas caught behind off her second ball, leaving Pakistan at 21/4.
South Africa then began to score easily and Pakistan took the lead, leaving Alia and Sana, in particular, even more frustrated with the way their chase was going. Both hit clean shots into the night sky, hitting five boundaries, and Alia hit her only six, putting Pakistan close, but not too close.
