By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa survived to beat Pakistan by six runs in another thrilling finish at the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
After Laura Wolvaardt made 75 and Sune Luus 62 to take South Africa to 223-9, Pakistan looked beaten when needing 52 from six overs with four wickets left.
But Nida Dar and Diana Baig kept them in it, only for Dar to crucially be run out for 55 in the 49th over.
With 10 needed off the last, Shabnim Ismail brilliantly held Baig, and Pakistan were 217 all out.
The grandstand finale in Tauranga is one more superb conclusion at a tournament which has already seen West Indies pull off close wins against New Zealand and England, who themselves almost completed an audacious run-chase against Australia.
It leaves South Africa with two victories from two matches before their meeting with winless England on Monday.
For Pakistan, the lowest-ranked side in the tournament, it is an agonising defeat, but another superb showing after they acquitted themselves well against India and Australia.
Their chase was built on patience. Omaima Sohail took 104 balls over 65, sharing stands of 69 with Nahida Khan and 49 with Dar.
Just as Omaima and Dar were looking to accelerate, Dar was caught at deep square leg off Masabata Klaas, the first of three wickets for 18 runs.
Still, Dar chipped away, first with Sidra Nawaz, then Baig. With 22 required from the final two overs, Baig hit back-to-back boundaries, only for Dar to be run out at the non-striker’s end by Chloe Tryon’s throw from long-on.
Baig was on strike for the final over, but Ismail held her nerve, running towards mid-wicket to hold a superb catch off her own bowling and effectively end the contest.
While the Proteas were indebted to Ismail’s coolness under pressure, they also needed Wolvaardt and captain Luus to earlier share a stand of 89 after they had been reduced to 21-2.
Dar dropping Wolvaardt on four was costly for Pakistan, while Luus also overturned being given out lbw on 12 and 23.
Even when they were parted, South Africa lost three wickets for 10 runs, with cameos from Tryon and Trisha Chetty, who each made 31, getting the Proteas to a total that was just enough.
Pakistan XI: Sidra Amin, Nahida Khan, Bismah Maroof (c), Omaima Sohail, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Sidra Nawaz, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Ghulam Fatima
South Africa XI: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Suné Luus (c), Mignon du Preez, Chloe Tryon, Trisha Chetty, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas.
Meanwhile the Proteas Women will play three T20Is and three ODIs against Ireland in Dublin from 3-17 June.
The three ODIs will form part of the 2022-25 Women’s Championship, an important qualifying cycle ahead of the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The tour will get under way with a T20I series from 3-8 June in Pembroke. It will be almost six years since the two sides last faced off in the shortest format of the game, when a two-match series ended level in August 2016.
The teams will then turn their attention to the 50-over game between 11-17 June, with all three contests taking place in Clontarf.
The Proteas Women have won 15 of their previous 17 ODI clashes with Ireland, with one defeat and a no result. In T20Is, the South Africans have won nine times out of 10.
Proteas Women’s tour to Ireland:
Friday, 3 June – 1st T20I (Pembroke, Dublin)
Monday, 6 June – 2nd T20I (Pembroke, Dublin)
Wednesday, 8 June – 3rd T20I (Pembroke, Dublin)
Saturday, 11 June – 1st ODI (Clontarf, Dublin)
Tuesday, 14 June– 2nd ODI (Clontarf, Dublin)
Friday, 17 June – 3rd ODI (Clontarf, Dublin).