South Africa’s women’s cricket team clinched a dominant eight-wicket victory against Pakistan in the third and final T20I at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday, securing a 2-1 series win. After Pakistan set a competitive target of 154, South Africa chased it down with nine balls to spare, thanks to strong performances by Anneke Bosch, Laura Wolvaardt, and Annerie Dercksen.
South Africa’s series win followed a closely fought contest, with the visitors winning the first match by 10 runs, while Pakistan claimed the second match by 13 runs.
Chasing 154, South Africa lost opener Tazmin Brits for a golden duck in the first over, dismissed by Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal. Despite this early setback, captain Laura Wolvaardt (45 off 37) and Anneke Bosch (46 off 37) built a solid 81-run partnership for the second wicket. Bosch, who smashed six boundaries and one six, was forced to retire hurt, adding further tension to the run chase.
Wolvaardt’s steady innings, featuring two fours and two sixes, was vital for South Africa before she was dismissed by Tuba Hassan. The visitors, however, remained in control.
Annerie Dercksen’s blistering knock of 44 not out from 23 balls sealed the win for South Africa. Her innings included six boundaries and two sixes, playing a decisive role in reaching the target. Dercksen shared an unbeaten 51-run stand with Sune Luus (14*), who provided solid support to see the team home in the 19th over.
Dercksen’s match-winning performance earned her the Player of the Match award, while Sune Luus was named Player of the Series for her consistent contributions throughout the series.
Earlier, Pakistan chose to bat first and got off to a strong start, with openers Muneeba Ali (33 off 26) and Gull Feroza (18 off 18) adding 49 runs in the powerplay. Muneeba top-scored for Pakistan, hitting four boundaries before running herself out in the 11th over.
Sidra Amin played a pivotal role in the middle order, scoring 37 off 40 balls, including three boundaries. She added a crucial 46-run partnership with captain Fatima Sana, who made a quickfire 27 off 17 balls, smashing two fours and one six.
Despite Pakistan’s promising start, the South African bowlers, particularly Nonkululeko Mlaba, who took 1-26, managed to restrict the hosts to 153-5 in their 20 overs.
South Africa’s batting lineup demonstrated resilience and control, ensuring that Pakistan’s total wasn’t enough to pose a serious challenge. The visitors remained calm throughout the chase, eventually achieving the target in 18.3 overs with eight wickets in hand.
With this victory, South Africa wrapped up the series and will now focus on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, which starts on October 3 in the UAE. Both teams are set to travel to the UAE, with South Africa flying out tomorrow and Pakistan departing on Monday.
Both teams will be looking ahead to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, where South Africa is placed in Group B alongside Bangladesh, England, Scotland, and the West Indies. Pakistan will compete in Group A, which includes Australia, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.
As they head into the global tournament, both teams will aim to build on their performances in this closely contested T20I series.