Pakistan women have created history by defeating South Africa women in a T20I series. They have put an end to an eight-year dry spell in impressive fashion, securing a resounding seven-wicket win over South Africa in Karachi this past Sunday.
Coming to this series, South Africa were expected to have an edge over the home side but Pakistan women have really surprised everyone with their elevated game standard. They haven’t climbed a mountain but they definitely they have found a winning formula which has kept the Proteas women under pressure.
Sidra Amin must be accredited for Pakistan women’s victoy in the second match. She created the foundation of victory with her bat and kept the momentum going until Pakistan had grasped the total control over the game. She showcased her finesse with a noteworthy 61-run performance at the beginning of the innings, guiding Pakistan to a successful pursuit of South Africa’s 150/3 total with just five balls to spare.
This victory marked the second consecutive match in which Pakistan impressively chased a target exceeding 150 runs, firmly establishing a 2-0 lead in the three-game T20I series. It’s an occasion of considerable significance, as it only marks the second instance in which Pakistan’s women’s team has triumphed over South Africa in a bilateral T20I series. The previous feat was accomplished way back in March 2015. They had to wait for a long time but it was worthwhile because after a long time, they had the opportunity to play at home, and they just delivered what Pakistani fans expected from the team.
Pakistan’s victory was a collective effort, with former captain Bismah Maroof contributing 27 runs, while Muneeba Ali (26*) and Aliya Riaz (31*) added the finishing touches to Sidra Ameen’s commendable work at the top of the batting order. There was nothing exaggerating about their chase, dividing the target into small parts then getting it done one by one without involving too much of a risk, hats off to their efforts.
On the South African side, openers Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt stood out with scores of 46 and 42, respectively, as they top-scored for their team. However, the strike rate has been an issue with both openers. Brits took 48 balls to score 46 runs, clearly indicating that she wasn’t having her best of the time in the middle. Pakistan women bowlers were on tight lines from the beginning, even though they couldn’t take wickets upfront but their bowling was strangling which didn’t allow South African batters to run away with the game.
For South Africa women, Left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, with figures of 2/20, emerged as the most effective bowler for South Africa. Kapp was economical but couldn’t take wickets, on the other hand, South Africa is missing an effective spinner for subcontinent conditions which was really a big difference between both teams.
This win holds historical significance, considering the struggles Pakistan’s women’s cricket team faced in bilateral T20I series against South Africa over the years. Now, with an unassailable 2-0 lead, they look forward to sealing the series in the third and final game, scheduled to take place in Karachi on Monday.
