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South Africa showcased their dominance over Pakistan in the opening match of the three-match ODI series. The Proteas women secured a comprehensive 127-run victory over the hosts at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday (September 8).
Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp’s century powered South Africa to a mammoth total
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, South Africa posted an imposing total of 292/4 in their allotted 50 overs. Laura Wolvaardt (17 runs off 15 balls) and Tazmin Brits (17 runs off nine balls) provided a quick start, setting the stage for the middle-order to capitalize.
The heart of South Africa’s innings was a brilliant partnership between Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp. Luus displayed exceptional form, scoring 107 runs off 129 balls, including seven boundaries. Kapp was equally impressive, notching up a superb century with 100 runs off 105 deliveries, featuring twelve fours and one six. Nadine de Klerk contributed with a handy 29 runs off 23 balls towards the end of the innings.
For Pakistan, the bowling effort was led by Nashra Sandhu, who picked up two wickets for 50 runs in her ten overs. However, the rest of the bowling attack struggled to contain the South African batters.
Pakistan women innings
In response, Pakistan faced a challenging target and faltered in their pursuit. They were bowled out for 165 runs in 36.5 overs, falling short by a significant margin. Aliya Riaz was the top scorer for Pakistan with 49 runs off 58 balls, while the rest of the batting lineup struggled to make substantial contributions.
South Africa’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined performance to put Pakistan under pressure. De Klerk was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for 23 runs in her six overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba also made a significant impact with her spin, bagging three scalps for 39 runs in her seven overs.
South Africa registers a comprehensive 127-run victory over Pakistan
In the end, it was a convincing victory for South Africa as they outplayed Pakistan in all departments of the game. The Player of the Match award was rightfully bestowed upon Kapp for her exceptional all-round performance.
With this win, the Proteas Women take a 1-0 lead in the series and will look to carry their momentum into the next ODI encounter, while Pakistan Women will aim to bounce back and level the series in the upcoming matches.
South Africa defeated Pakistan by 127 runs 🏏
Scorecard: https://t.co/4DSTdd9IU2#women #cricket #PakVsSA #southafricacricket #pakistancricket #marizannekapp #CricketTwitter #WomenCricket pic.twitter.com/hBtv8vTfz3
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) September 9, 2023
