PROTEAS OVERCOME PAKISTAN FIGHTBACK TO SECURE A WIN

ICC 10th WOMEN's WORLD CUP – Match 11 – South Africa v Pakistan at Birmingham on 17 June 2026

Result – South Africa beat Pakistan by 2 wickets
Points – South Africa 2(2), Pakistan 0(0)
Toss – Pakistan
Umpires – Anna Harris, Kim Cotton, Eloise Sheridan (TV)
Player of the Match – Annerie Deckersen
Match Centre Link - You can view the scorecard, watch highlights and engage more at Match Centre of ICC. The match can be accessed here. 

PAKISTAN INNINGS
PROTEAS PACE POWER
The 11^th match of the game of 11s in the 10th Womens T20 World Cup featured South Africa and Pakistan. Both the teams came from defeats (SA losing to AUS by 65 runs & PAK losing to IND by 64 runs) and the both the teams dressed in greens were looking for a green victory. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat. Muneeba Ali faced Marizanne Kapp in the first ball and it was action straightaway. Marizanne struck Muneeba on the legs and SA shouted loud for LBW. The umpire replied in negative and DRS was brought in the first ball itself. The DRS ruled in South Africa’s favour and Proteas went wild with joy. Marizanne deceived the other opener Gull Feroza with both pace and angle and Gull’s stumps were shattered. PAK were 3/2 in 1, Shabnim Ismail matched Marizanne’s pace from the other end and was effective with 4 dots. Only once Natalia Pervaiz was able to put bat to ball and it raced to a boundary. Ayesha Zafar hit a gorgeous boundary of Marizanne in the 3rd over, proper belting over the mid wicket. Marizanne struck back next ball claiming her plumb in front. Ayabonga Khaka replaced Shabnim Ismail in the other end and she dismissed Natalia who batted one to the stumps. Iram Javed began positively with a cut that went for boundary. She finished the over with a gorgeous straight drive. Despite the wicket, it was the best over for PAK. Marizanne had Rameen Shamim in all sorts of trouble in the 5^th over which yielded 5 runs with a boundary for Rameen and 4 dots for Marizanne. Shabnim came to close the powerplay and just when both the batters looked settled, a mix up in the middle of the pitch saw Rameen being run out by a margin in the 4^th ball. Aliya Riaz played out the last 2 deliveries of power play. PAK were in more than dire straits at 29/5.

TOTAL CHAOS
Nonkululeko Mlaba and spin came in for the 7^th over and there were no spin in fortunes for PAK as she quietly slipped a 3 run over. Ayabonga was brought back for the 8^th and the PAK batters poor calling and running was back. In the 2^nd ball, Iram was run out going for a non-existent run. Aliya Riaz thought she had a boundary next ball but a brilliant effort from Proteas in the deep saved a run as PAK ran three well. Skipper Fatima Sana saw off the next 3 balls of Ayabonga which were well varied. Aliya got her boundary in the first ball of Nonkululeko’s over. Fatima once again faced the last 3 balls of the over and couldn’t find a run. Shabnim was brought in for the 10^th over and finally Fatima got her first run as she flicked one on her legs. Shabnim completed the over with a widish short ball which Aliya hit straight to Sune Luus at backward point. PAK scorecard read 45/7 at half way mark and they were way off the mark. I hadn’t given up because 3 of my most favourite cricketers, Fatima Sana, Nashra Sandhu & Tuba Hassan were due and the trio loved a proper fight. Nadine De Klerk began the 11^th over and Fatima showed great intent as she smashed her through the covers for a much needed boundary. Two balls later, it was bad fortune rather poor cricket for PAK. Nashra chipped the ball in the leg side and was about to take a single when Fatima and Nadine tripped on each other. Shabnim threw the ball back to keeper in lightning speed. Sinalo Jafta looked at her skipper and after confirmation hit the stumps. Nashra ran back to save her skipper’s wicket and team’s chances. I thought SA wouldn’t claim the run out but all is fair in war and World Cup. Tuba Hassan joined her skipper and the duo saw through the next 2 overs of spin from Chloe and Nonkululeko scoring at run a ball. Fatima came down the track and hoisted one over Shabnam in 13.4 to bring a boundary which seemed one after the ages. The duo of Nonkululeko and Chloe once again quickly sneaked a couple of overs and slowed down PAK’s progress giving just 6 runs combined. PAK were 80/8 after 16 overs and though this duo of Fatima & Tuba had added 30 from 34 balls, their probability of crossing 100 or 18 overs seemed bleak.

 FIESTY FATIMA & TOUGH TUBA
The two 25 year olds, Fatima & Tuba rose to the occasion. They saw through Marizanne who came to finish her quota before sending her off with a boundary of her last ball. Chloe started the 18^th over with a couple of dots before Tuba struck back with a boundary over mid on. In the 5^th ball, Fatima pulled her for another boundary as PAK reached 98 with 2 overs & 2 wickets to go. Ayabonga came in for the 19^th over and restricted the duo to singles before Tuba broke free with a boundary in the 5^th ball. Nadine De Klerk was brought to finish the innings. Fatima gave the finishing touch though clobbering Nadine’s 2^nd & 3^rd deliveries for sixers. She brought her fifty with the second sixer. They tried to steal a second run in the 4th ball but Shabnim’s throw had Tuba short of the crease. The run out ended the feisty and tough fight by the duo which added 71 runs in 9 overs for the 9^th wicket. Fatima finished the innings with a boundary over point. When PAK were 50/8 a little after 10 overs, it looked like they would implode but Fatima & Tuba ensured that PAK lasted 20 overs and crossed 120. PAK finished at 126/9. This not only gives their bowlers a chance but a huge lot of momentum.

SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS

ANNERIE IN AN HURRY
Laura Wolvaardt & Sune Luus, the senior pros came to the crease for South Africa. It was Laura’s 100^th T20I. A few matches ago, fellow NZ skipper Amelia Kerr lost her 100^th ODI and Laura wouldn’t want to emulate Melie. Left arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, the only PAK player not to have batted in the PAK innings got to bowl the first over. She had a silent start to her over before Laura came down the ground to steer a boundary in the 5^th ball of the over. Fatima Sana came to bowl the second over and began with a no ball. Sune thwacked the free hit for a leg side boundary. Fatima struck the very next ball when Sune’s inside edge shattered her stumps. Annerie Deckersen walked in and played a delicate late cut for a boundary. Fatima’s 2^nd over had a wicket but also saw 12 runs being scored of it. Sadia bowled a very impressive 3^rd over giving just a solitary run. Fatima complimented with another good over with once again just one run. SA werent looking convincing till Rameen Shamim came first change for the 5^th over. Annerie started the over with a boundary gifted by a lapse in deep, was denied a boundary thanks to sharp fielding in the deep, slashed Rameen for a huge six in the third ball, got once again a boundary courtesy poor fielding in the 4^th ball, powered her way over cover for another boundary and happily took a single to keep strike in the last ball. The 21 run over changed the complexion of the game and Annerlie looked in an hurry to take SA to the winning post. Nashra Sandhu came in to close the power play. Annerie hit a boundary over the bowlers head in the 2^nd ball but Nashra conceded only 7 in the over. SA were 48/1 and needed just 80 in the remaining 14. While Annerie was looking mercurial, Laura was looking out of touch.

A BOUNDARY PER OVER
Tuba bowled the 7^th over and was greeted by Annerie with a boundary. Laura got strike in the third ball but her sweep took a top edge and went straight into the hands of Sadia. Tuba darted in two quick ones to Marizanne Kapp before Marizanne closed the over with a heave over fine leg for another boundary. Nashra bowled the 8^th over well giving only 2 singles in 5 balls before Annerie once again went straight over the bowler for a sixer this time. The next over followed a similar pattern with Tuba just conceding 2 in 5 balls before Marizanne once again heaved her over fine leg to close the over with a boundary. Annerie was seeing the ball like football and she opened the face of her bat to guide a ball straying on the leg through backward point for a boundary. She had scored a 32 ball half century and SA looked like getting the chase done in the next few overs. Nashra beat Marizanne Kapp with extra turn and Muneeba completed a smart stumping as PAK got their third wicket. A buoyed Nashra kept new batter Nadine De Klerk silent for the next 3 balls. At mid innings, SA were 76/3 and needed 51 from next ten. Tuba began the second half brilliantly by beating Annerie by turn when she tried to loft one over leg side. The ball passes Annerie’s legs to hit the stumps. Chloe joined Nadine who found a boundary per over from both Tuba and Nashra. There was change in spin with Sadia who started impressively being bought back in the 13^th over. She forced Chloe to edge one to Muneeba in the 2^nd ball for the 5^th SA wicket. That didn’t stop Nadine’s boundary per over target as she cut a wide one beautifully through covers. Rameen came back after the 21 run over and was no privy to Nadine’s one boundary per over which also ensured the team 100 for SA. Sadia continued and so did the flow of wickets. She fooled the young Kayla Reyneke by varying her pace and had her gifting a catch to Fatima. However Sinalo Jafta and Nadine had a boundary each to ensure that there was no pressure. Tuba bowled the 16^th over that had 4 dot balls, the mandatory Nadine boundary and a single. At end of 16 overs, SA were just 3 runs away from the target. Despite the spin trio of Sadia, Nashra & Tuba getting wickets and slowing down the innings, Nadine ensured Proteas were out of pressure with a boundary every over.

TWO WICKETS BUT TOO LATE
Fatima Sana had no choice but to bring herself in. In the 2^nd ball, she bowled Sinalo with an attempted yorker and in the 5^th ball she induced an edge of Nadine which was well pouched by Muneeba. SA had only 2 wickets more but Ayabonga Khaka and Shabnim Ismail were no mugs with the bat and they just needed one run to win. Off all outcomes, Fatima bowled a wide and SA sealed their first win of the tournament. PAK showed a lot of heart. In hindsight, better batting by top order and better rotation of bowlers could have made it a thrilling contest.

(Images Courtesy – ESPN Cricinfo)