KARACHI: Sidra Ameen’s 61-run knock after a tight bowling display powered Pakistan Women to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the second PAKW vs SAW T20I on Sunday.
Set to chase 151 in the second PAK vs SAW T20I, Pakistan comfortably completed the pursuit for the loss of just three wickets and five balls to spare.
The hosts, however, got off to a contrasting start to the run chase as they lost their young opener Shawaal Zulfiqar (4) with just 23 runs on the board in four overs.
Another opener Sidra Ameen was then joined by experienced Bismah Maroof and the pair soon launched a brilliant recovery, adding 68 runs for the second wicket before both perished in successive overs as Pakistan slipped to 102/3 in the 15th over.
Bismah scored a cautious 26-ball 27, hitting a boundary while Sidra Ameen top-scored with her career-best 61 in 44 balls with the help of six boundaries and a six.
Following back-to-back dismissals, wicketkeeper batter Muneeba Ali and Aliya Riaz kept Pakistan in the hunt with a crucial partnership.
The pair put together a match-winning 54-run stand and scored at a brisk rate.
Aliya Riaz, who scored the winning runs with a mighty six on the first delivery of the final over, scored an unbeaten 31 off 18 deliveries.
Whereas, Muneeba Ali remained not out with a 15-ball 26, laced up with two boundaries and a six.
Nonkululeko Mlaba led the bowling attack for South Africa with 2/20, followed by Delmi Tucker, who had one wicket to her name.
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Put into bat first in the second PAKW vs SAW T20I, the touring side once again raised 150/3 on the board with their openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits leading the charge.
The in-form openers frustrated Pakistan bowlers with a solid first-wicket partnership as they added 74 runs before Nashra Sandhu got a much-needed breakthrough in the form of the South African captain.
Wolvaardt was once again unlucky as she missed her well-deserved half-century by just nine runs.
She scored 46 off 34 deliveries with the help of six boundaries.
Following Wolvaardt’s dismissal, Brits was joined at the crease by Marizanne Kapp and the pair knitted a crucial 37-run stand until the latter perished in the 17th over.
She top-scored for South Africa in the second PAK vs SAW T20I as well with a 48-ball 46, laced up with two boundaries and a six.
With both set batters back into the hut, Kapp and Nadine de Klerk bolstered South Africa’s total at the backend.
The duo, however, could put together a mere 19-run stand as Kapp got run out in the 19th over. She scored 26 off 24 deliveries, hitting two boundaries.
Meanwhile, Klerk stood his ground firm and carried his bat all the way through for an unbeaten 21 off 11 which featured four boundaries.
For Pakistan Women, only Nashra Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal could pick up a wicket apiece.
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