Tazmin Brits and Shabnim Ismail shine again for the Momentum Proteas to clinch the T20I series with a game to spare.

In the second T20I, Pakistan won the toss and they elected to bowl.

The Momentum Proteas had an unchanged opening pair, in Lizelle Lee and Tazmin Brits. They struggled to get going, not being able to find their timing, with Lee being removed early off a caught and bowled from Anam Amin. Brits was then joined by Marizanne Kapp. After 8 overs, South Africa had scored just 30 runs, for the loss of the Lee wicket.

Brits eventually found her rhythm, with wickets falling all around her. She played a lot of her shots straight down the ground and on the leg side, smashing 8 fours and 1 six. She played another outstanding knock, anchoring the innings as well as giving it impetus, scoring 66 runs off 58 balls.

She, unfortunately, wasn’t able to carry her bat, being dismissed lbw by Aiman Anwer, off the last ball of the innings. South Africa set a total of 133-5 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan yet again lost early wickets, losing their first wicket for just 6 runs. Omaima Sohail was clean bowled by Marizanne Kapp, playing a shot across the line and missing. Shabnim Ismail then got two wickets in consecutive balls, removing Muneeba Ali caught behind by Sinalo Jafta for 1, and bowling Nida Dar around her legs, taking the score to 11-3.

She took her third wicket in her third over, and another two in the last over of the innings. She also saved quite a few runs in the field as well as took a catch at deep mid-wicket to remove in-form Kainat Imtiaz.

Pakistan lost 4 wickets in their first 6 overs for just 20 runs. It looked like they would struggle to get close to South Africa’s total, yet Pakistan did what they have been doing throughout the series and fought back strongly.

Despite Aliya Riaz and Ayesha Naseem’s fighting 65-run partnership off 43 balls at the backend of the innings, they weren’t able to get over the line, with Ismail dismissing both of them in the last over of the innings.

Ismail bowled a phenomenal last over, going for just 3 runs and picking up the two wickets. She ended with career-best figures of 5-12.

The Momentum Proteas won by 18 runs and clinch the T20I series.