Potchefstroom (Sports Report): :Debutant Kayla Reyneke’s all-round performance and Laura Wolvaardt’s 61 sealed South Africa women’s victory over Pakistan in a 181-run chase on the final delivery of the game, trumping Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana’s effort of 90 in first T20I here at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Tuesday night.
In pursuit of the target, South Africa got off to swift start as they raced to 54-1 after six overs, powered by Tazmin Brits (16, 14b, 2x4s) and Sune Luus (32, 20b, 5x4s).
Skipper Wolvaardt top-scored with a 38-ball 61 hitting eight fours and one six, setting up the chase. Reyneke remained unbeaten on 29 off 16 balls after walking in at 147-5, hitting a six off the final delivery of the match to take her side home.
South Africa needed 79 off the remaining 60 balls at the halfway mark. Nashra Sundhu removed Wolvaardt in the 15th over, while two wickets including one run-out came in Ayesha Zafar’s subsequent over.
The equation came down from 34 off last four overs to 10 needed off the final over. Debutant Humna Bilal, who had earlier drawn the first blood for Pakistan removing Tazmin Brits, gave away six runs off the first three balls before South Africa needed two off the last ball.
At the start after opting to bat first, Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals and slipped to 25-3 in 3.4 overs and then 64-6 in 9.4 overs.
Captain Fatima, batting at no.8, then held the innings together with a vital 74-run stand alongside Umm-e-Hani (13). The partnership ended in the 17th over when Umm-e-Hani fell, with Pakistan at 138-7.
Fatima went on to register a career-best T20I 90 off 41 balls, smashing nine fours and seven sixes, getting to her maiden T20I half-century. This was also the second-highest individual score for Pakistan Women’s in T20Is besides Muneeba Ali’s 102 against Ireland in South Africa in 2023.
Pakistan’s skipper brought up her half-century off 27 balls, registering the second-fastest fifty for her country. From 103-6 at the end of 15 overs, Pakistan surged to 180-9, plundering 77 runs in the last five overs, powered largely by Fatima’s late onslaught. 40 of those came in the 16th and 17th overs combined.
For South Africa, Ayanda Hlubi bagged 3-41 in her four overs while Kayla Reyneke (2-13) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (2-40) shared four wickets among them.
Scores in brief:
Pakistan 180-9, 20 overs (Fatima Sana 90, Natalia Parvaiz 20; Ayanda Hlubi 3-41, Kayla Reyneke 2-13, Nonkululeko Mlaba 2-40)
South Africa 185-5, 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 61, Sune Luus 32, Kayla Reyneke 29 not out; Nashra Sundhu 1-14, Humna Bilal 1-18
