South Africa women clinch T20I series 2-1 with 8-wicket win over Pakistan

LAHORE, SEP 21 (DNA) : South Africa Women secured a convincing eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the third and decisive T20I, winning the three-match series 2-1 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday.

The match marked a thrilling conclusion to the series, with the visitors recovering from their second-game defeat to seal the series win. South Af­rica had earlier triumphed in the first T20I by 10 runs, while Pakistan bounced back in the second T20I with a 13-run win, setting up an exciting finale. Chasing a target of 154, South Africa faced an early setback when Tazmin Brits was dis­missed for a golden duck in the first over by Sadia Iqbal.

Despite the early blow, South Africa’s captain Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch steadied the innings, building a crucial 81-run partnership for the second wicket. Bosch, who played an impressive knock of 46 from 37 balls, including six boundaries and a six, was forced to retire hurt midway through her innings.

Wolvaardt continued to an­chor the chase, contributing 45 off 37 balls with two fours and two sixes. Her dismissal left South Africa needing a late surge, which came in the form of a blistering, unbeaten knock by AnnerieDercksen. The player of the match, Dercksen, smashed 44 runs off just 23 balls, including six boundar­ies and two sixes, to guide her team to victory with nine balls remaining.

Sune Luus provided solid support at the other end, fin­ishing unbeaten on 14 off 13 balls, as the duo added an un­broken 51-run partnership for the third wicket. For Pakistan, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan were the only bowlers to take wickets, but they could not pre­vent the South African batters from cruising to the target.

Earlier, Pakistan’s batting ef­fort was led by opener Munee­ba Ali, who scored a brisk 33 off 26 balls, including four boundaries. Muneeba and Gull Feroza provided a solid start, adding 49 runs during the pow­erplay. Gull was the first to fall for 18 off 18 balls, followed by Muneeba’s run-out in the 11th over, leaving Pakistan at 72-2.

Sidra Amin anchored the middle order with a steady 37 off 40 balls, hitting three boundaries. She received sup­port from Nida Dar, who con­tributed 12 runs off just seven balls before being bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba. Captain Fatima Sana smashed 27 off 17 balls, including two fours and a six, and sharing a 46-run stand with Sidra. In the end, Pakistan posted 153-5 in their 20 overs, with Aliya Riaz and Tuba Has­san remaining unbeaten on eight and six, respectively.

Despite a competitive total, Pakistan’s bowlers were un­able to contain the powerful South African batting lineup, as the visitors comfortably chased down the target to claim the series win. Both teams will now shift their focus to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, set to begin on 3 October in the UAE. South Africa will compete in Group B alongside Bangla­desh, England, Scotland, and West Indies, while Pakistan will face tough competition in Group A, which includes Aus­tralia, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.