The much-anticipated first T20I of the South Africa Women’s Tour of Pakistan 2024 saw the visitors clinch a hard-fought victory, defeating Pakistan by 10 runs in a gripping contest on September 16. While Pakistan’s Aliya Riaz and Fatima Sana displayed remarkable grit with an unbeaten partnership, South Africa’s strong start with both bat and ball proved decisive in securing their win.
South Africa Set a Competitive Target
After being put in to bat, South Africa posted a competitive total of 132/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Their innings was anchored by a solid knock from opener Tazmin Brits, who played a controlled, unbeaten inning of 56 off 54 balls, holding the South African innings together while others around her struggled to maintain momentum.
South Africa’s start was steady but not spectacular, with Anneke Bosch and Brits building a platform. However, Pakistan’s spinners, particularly Sadia Iqbal and skipper Nida Dar, turned the tide by bowling tight lines and taking crucial wickets. Sadia was the standout bowler for Pakistan, finishing with figures of 3/34 in her four overs, regularly breaking partnerships and preventing South Africa from cutting loose in the middle overs.
Nida Dar, too, played a pivotal role in keeping the visitors in check, delivering an economical spell of 1/11 from her four overs. Her tight bowling, coupled with Sadia’s ability to take wickets, made it difficult for South Africa to accelerate towards the end. However, a timely 27 from Sune Luus and Brits’ consistency ensured South Africa reached a defendable total of 132.
Pakistan’s Struggles Early in the Chase
In response, Pakistan’s chase got off to a disastrous start. South African pacers, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khakha, immediately put Pakistan under pressure by bowling accurate and tight lines, restricting the scoring opportunities early on. Kapp, known for her ability to swing the ball both ways, picked up two quick wickets, leaving Pakistan struggling at 21/4 in just 6.3 overs.
Ayabonga Khakha and Kapp worked in tandem to pile the pressure on Pakistan’s top order, and with Tumi Sekhukhune joining the attack and claiming two wickets as well, Pakistan found themselves in deep trouble. Bismah Maroof, Muneeba Ali, and Sidra Ameen—all important batters for Pakistan—fell early, and the hosts were left reeling.
Middle-Order Fightback by Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz
At 21/4, Pakistan’s chances of winning seemed slim, but skipper Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz tried to steady the innings. They took their time to settle in, but with the required run rate steadily rising, it became clear that Pakistan needed to accelerate.
Dar and Aliya added 26 runs before Nida, trying to up the ante, fell for 11 to Sekhukhune, leaving Pakistan at 47/5. With 86 runs still required in just over 10 overs, it was Aliya Riaz and all-rounder Fatima Sana who came together and mounted a fierce counterattack.
Aliya Riaz’s 52 in vain as Kapp, Brits blow away Pakistan in 1st T20I. Courtesy: Pakistan Cricket/PCB
Aliya and Fatima’s Valiant Partnership
Aliya Riaz, who came in at number six, initially played a watchful inning but then exploded with the bat in the latter part of the innings. She shifted gears in the last five overs, targeting the South African bowlers with a combination of boundaries and aggressive running between the wickets. Her unbeaten 52 off 41 balls, featuring 4 fours and 2 sixes, revived Pakistan’s hopes.
On the other end, Fatima Sana also played a crucial role, showing great composure under pressure. Her quickfire 37 off 24 balls complemented Aliya’s knock perfectly. Together, they put on an unbeaten 75-run partnership in just 44 balls, as the duo kept Pakistan’s hopes alive by scoring at a brisk pace.
However, despite their best efforts, the early damage done by South Africa’s bowlers proved too much to overcome. With 13 runs required off the final over, South Africa held their nerve, bowling tight lines and ensuring Pakistan couldn’t get over the line. Kapp, who returned for her final spell, conceded just 2 runs in the penultimate over, and South Africa sealed the win by 10 runs.
South Africa’s Clinical Bowling Performance
South Africa’s bowling, especially the efforts of Marizanne Kapp (2/22) and Tumi Sekhukhune (2/15), was the key factor in their victory. The early breakthroughs they provided, along with their disciplined death bowling, were instrumental in keeping Pakistan’s lower order from snatching victory in the final overs.
Khakha’s economy and accuracy in the powerplay were also pivotal in ensuring Pakistan couldn’t get any easy runs early in the chase. Even though South Africa faced stiff resistance from Aliya and Fatima in the later stages of the game, their early work paid off as they managed to restrict Pakistan to 122/5 after 20 overs.
Brits carried her bat through the innings, scoring 56 not out. © Getty
Brief Scores:
- South Africa: 132/4 in 20 overs (Tazmin Brits 56*, Sune Luus 27; Sadia Iqbal 3/34, Nida Dar 1/11).
- Pakistan: 122/5 in 20 overs (Aliya Riaz 52*, Fatima Sana 37*; Tumi Sekhukhune 2/15, Marizanne Kapp 2/22).
This thrilling encounter saw South Africa take a 1-0 lead in the T20I series, with Pakistan looking to bounce back in the next match.