South Africa held their nerve in a dramatic finish to edge Pakistan by two wickets in a low-scoring thriller and open their Women’s T20 World Cup account with a hard-fought victory. What appeared to be a routine chase turned into a tense contest as Pakistan’s spinners nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback after skipper Fatima Sana’s inspirational all-round performance.
Pakistan recover from 50/8 through captain Fatima Sana
Pakistan looked headed for a collapse after South Africa’s pace attack ripped through the top order, reducing them to 50/8 on a sluggish surface. Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail set the tone brilliantly, with Kapp striking with the very first ball of the innings.However, captain Fatima Sana refused to surrender. Batting with remarkable composure, she forged a 71-run partnership with Tuba Hassan to rescue Pakistan from disaster. Fatima’s fighting half-century not only lifted her side to 126 but also saw her become the first captain to score a fifty and claim three wickets in a Women’s T20 World Cup match.“We just tried to take the game deep because we know we have the capability,” Fatima said after the match. “The fight was there and the effort was there, but we couldn’t finish the game.”
Dercksen and de Klerk steer Proteas through tense chase
South Africa’s pursuit began shakily with skipper Laura Wolvaardt departing unusually while attempting a sweep. Annerie Dercksen then counterattacked, taking 21 runs off a single over from Shamim and later bringing up a valuable half-century.But Pakistan kept striking back. The dismissals of Dercksen and Kapp in quick succession triggered another collapse as the Proteas lower order struggled under pressure.Nadine de Klerk played a crucial cameo to drag South Africa to the brink of victory before falling with the scores level. Pakistan were still two wickets away from victory, but a wide from Fatima Sana ended the contest and denied them a memorable win.
Wolvaardt relieved after nervy victory
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt admitted her side had not been at their best.“Points in the bag are all that matters today,” she said. “It was a little scratchy and not the way we would have liked, but there are still lots of positives to take out of it.”Praising her new-ball bowlers, she added: “Kappie was excellent, and I thought Shabnim was great today as well. It was nice to have them bowling in tandem up front and setting up the innings.”
