A successful defend by South Africa Women in the 50th over as they beat Pakistan Women at Bay Oval this afternoon.
Match SummaryÂ
SA: 223/9 (50 overs)Â
PAK: 217 (49.5 overs)Â
The Protea women remain undefeated against Pakistan wins by 6 runs in Match 9, of the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 at Bay Oval in Tauranga on Friday.
Pakistan women are yet to find their first win in the tournament, and with this defeat, it will be difficult for Pakistan to qualify for semifinals.
Shabnim Ismail becomes Player of the Match with 3 wickets in hand in 9.5 overs and showed brilliant performance in the final over. Â
Pakistan won the toss and decided to field first. Chasing the target of 224 against South Africa.
Pakistan got two quick wickets in the start and just when a big partnership evolved between Protea batters,
the spinning web of Ghulam Fatima broke the set partnership between Laura Wolvaardt (75) and Sune Luus (62) by taking Wolvaardt’s wicket which gave Pakistan a breakthrough in stopping them from targeting big. Â
The partnership between lower-order batters Chloe Tryon (31) and Trisha Chetty (31) helped in adding more runs for South Africa.
Meanwhile, The Fatima duo (Fatima Sana and Ghulam Fatima) proved to be effective in the middle death overs. Â
In the interview post first innings, Laura Wolvaardt said, “I was a bit upset that I didn’t go all the way and hopefully we got enough.
Wanted to post 260 plus but we need to fight hard like we did in the last game. That (Trisha Chetty’s cameo) made a massive difference between 180 and 220.”Â
In the second innings, South Africa got early wickets too with Bismah Maroof, who had scored 72 against Australia in the last match, went out on duck in this match.
Ayobonga Khaka bowled LBW to Nahida Khan, broke a long due partnership between Khan and Sohail. Â
South Africa soon bagged two quick wickets in the late 38th and early 39th over. Sohail, just when she gave hope to fasten the close to Pakistan’s chase soon after a run-out check, pulled a short hand at deep square and got caught on 65 off 104 by Lizelle Lee.
Aliya Riaz could have stabilized the batting in middle also got caught on 0(2) soon after Sohail.Â
Pakistan batters failed to build a partnership after Sohail’s wicket that costed them the match. With Nida Dar holding the anchor after Sohail’s wicket, couldn’t helping the team chase the total of 224.
This leads to Pakistan continuing on the last spot in the points table of ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The only chance of qualification for Pakistan is to win all the remaining matches. Â
“As a strike bowler, I like to come out at the death. I was always confident. I love catches, that was 100 percent mine. I don’t take a lot of catches during warm-ups but I always back myself.
I think the batters need to put their hands down and bat. But as long as we are winning, it’s alright,” Shabnim Ismail said in post-match presentation.Â
Talking about the chase against South Africa, Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof said that they need to be more clinical with ball and key moments they missed as South Africa clinched those moments and won.
She also said that they are improving their game and believes that they can beat any team, just that they need to stay in the present and pick the right decisions.Â
South Africa jumps to third spot in the points table and will be looking forward to win their next against England on 14th March 2022.
Protea women missed many run-out opportunities in today’s match that could have turned into an early wicket of Sohail.
Although, they succeeded in running out Sidra Nawaz in the 49th over, this will be a major takeaway for South Africans for the next match. Â
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Pakistan Playing XI: Nahida Khan, Sidra Ameen, Bismah Maroof (c), Omaima Sohail, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Ghulam FatimaÂ
South Africa Playing XI: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus (c), Tazmin Brits, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Trisha Chetty (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Masabata Klaas, Ayobonga Khaka
