Despite an eventful innings full of momentum shifts, South Africa have remained headstrong and posted a respectable total of 223/9 against Pakistan.
It was a relatively more grassy pitch at Mount Maunganui, and Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof chose to bowl first. Laura Wolvaardt started off briskly as usual, but the much-anticipated comeback for the hard-hitting Lizelle Lee ended up a brief stay, as she nicked off to the keeper in the third over.
In spite of the early hiccup, Wolvaardt continued to impress with her pristine cover drives. However, Tazmin Brits wasn’t able to come out of her shell. Brits finally edged one, and keeper Sidra Nawaz took a brilliant one-hander, leaving South Africa two down in the 8th over.
The Proteas badly needed a sturdy partnership to get the innings, and Wolvaardt got the support she needed from her captain. While Wolvaardt remained aggressive and pounced on the poor deliveries, Sune Luus did well to occupy the crease. But then again, the progress for SA was kept in check, upon the introduction of spin.
Nida Dar and Nashra Sandhu combined went for 3 an over in their first spell, and both batters seemed to be getting a bit too bogged down. Fortunately, Wolvaardt brought up another half-century with a pair of on drives.
Wolvaardt and Luus added a total of 85 runs, but Pakistan came right back into the contest when legspinner Ghulam Fatima took a diving catch off her own bowling to dismiss the dangerous Wolvaardt for 75.
Fatima went for a few boundaries in her first couple of overs, but this breakthrough brought another. Mignon du Preez failed to read the turn, and an attempted cut went straight to Omaima Sohail at backward point. All of a sudden, it was two wickets in the over and South Africa were in a bit of a quandary.
The situation continued to improve for Pakistan, as Fatima got her third. Marizanne Kapp top-edged a sweep, and holed out to Sidra Ameen at deep square leg.
Momentum transferred rather quickly, and it was up to Luus and Chloe Tryon to get the Proteas out of trouble and potentially spearhead a confident finish. Luus was struggling for timing, but helped rotate strike. It wasn’t until the final 10 overs when SA began to up the ante.
Tryon benefited from a couple of reprieves and hit the first maximum of the game in the 43rd over. Right when she was looking to attack at the death, she tamely chipped one back to Nashra Sandhu. What could have been a game-changing knock was abruptly cut short.
Much to the Proteas’ relief, Trisha Chetty arrived and manipulated the field to score a crucial cameo of 31 from 26. Luus brought up a half-century of her own, and cleared the boundary in the 47th over. And just like that, South Africa were marching towards another competitive and defendable total.
Two more wickets fell in the final over, but crossing the 200 benchmark was most important, given the middle-order slide. Do they have enough on the board, or will the Pakistani batters front up and make it count after a rough start? Stay tuned for the chase.
SA 223/9 in 50 overs (Wolvaardt 75, Luus 62 – Fatima Sana 10-1-43-3, Ghulam Fatima 9-0-52-3)
