This week, the Pakistan Women’s cricket team is in South Africa for a quickfire T20 series. The three matches take place over six days, and this tour consists entirely of white-ball cricket.
After the T20s in Potchefstroom, Benoni, and Kimberley, the tour moves on to ODIs. Those three matches are scheduled from February 22 through March 1 in Bloemfontein, Centurion, and Durban.
Here is a look ahead at the contest.
South Africa vs Pakistan Venue: Willowmoore Park, Benoni
South Africa vs Pakistan Date: Friday, February 13
South Africa vs Pakistan Odds:
History
South Africa has played three series since losing the 2024 T20 World Cup final to New Zealand in Dubai. The next edition of that competition takes place in England and Wales this coming June, so we are approaching a critical point in the preparation for an event that South Africa will be expecting to challenge for the trophy.
The first match in this series was a thriller. South African debutant Kayla Reyneke clubbed a final-ball six for the Proteas to complete their run chase of 181 to win in the most sensational way possible.
It was a strange match, one in which Fatima Sana came in at No. 8 for Pakistan, smashing 90 off 41 balls and setting Pakistan a target to defend. It was the highest ever score in T20Is from a woman coming in at No. 7 or lower, and with Pakistan reeling at 64 for 6 when Sana entered the fray, it was timely.
The next highest scorer for the tourists was Natlaia Pervaiz with 20.
The chase of 181 to win was the highest successful run chase in the history of the Proteas T20 women. It is the third-highest overall, behind the West Indies’ astonishing chase of 213 against Australia and England, and their bettering of the 199 they were set by India.
This was Reyneke’s night. She took two wickets for just 13 runs with her four bowling overs and then was unbeaten on 29 from 16 balls to win the match.
South Africa
It was weird that it came down to the final ball to win this. South Africa were cruising at 133 for 2 in the 14th over when losing the wicket of captain Laura Wolvaart for 61, completely unbalancing the side.
The collapse of three wickets in 12 balls for just 14 runs put Pakistan in a position to win, but the combination of Reyneke and Annerie Dercksen proved strong enough to see the Proteas over the line.
Pakistan
Sana’s innings had to be seen to be believed. It was her first T20I half-century, while her seven sixes were the most ever by a Pakistani player in the international format.
Pakistan will look to pile on the latter stages of South Africa’s bowling again on Friday. The tourists ripped 77 runs out of the last five overs in Potchefstroom, jumping on a lack of discipline when it came to the Proteas closing out their fielding innings.
Best Bets
I love Wolvaardt at 19/10 to be the top bat. Two sensations performed by middle and lower order bats denied her on Tuesday, but those kinds of performances are rare.
