Birmingham, June 18: In a gripping encounter at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa secured a thrilling 2-wicket victory over Pakistan. Chasing a target of 127 runs at Edgbaston, the Proteas achieved their goal in 16.5 overs, losing 8 wickets in the process.
South Africa’s chase got off to a rocky start, with captain Laura Wolvaardt dismissed for just 8 runs. Suné Luus also struggled, contributing only 5 runs. Marizanne Kapp managed to score 10 runs off 8 balls before being dismissed. Despite the early setbacks, Henri Dirkse continued to anchor the innings with a powerful performance, scoring 52 runs off just 35 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes.
Nadine de Klerk also played a crucial role, scoring 37 runs off 28 balls. However, after Dirkse’s dismissal, South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals, allowing Pakistan to regain control of the match. Nevertheless, South Africa managed to clinch the win in the end.
On the bowling front, Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana delivered an impressive performance, taking 3 wickets for just 16 runs. Sadia Iqbal also contributed with 2 wickets.
Earlier, Pakistan struggled to put runs on the board, finishing their innings at 126 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. The team had a disastrous start, with Muniba Ali dismissed for a duck on the very first ball. Gul Firoza was also out for just 1 run in the first over, courtesy of Marizanne Kapp. Natalia Parvez managed only 4 runs, while Ayesha Zafar’s performance was disappointing with just 9 runs. Rameen Shamim was run out after scoring 6 runs, and Irma Javed (11 runs) and Aliya Riaz (10 runs) also failed to make significant contributions.
Fatima Sana was the standout performer for Pakistan, scoring an unbeaten 55 runs off 38 balls, featuring 6 fours and 2 sixes. Tuba Hasan provided valuable support with a crucial innings of 23 runs. For South Africa, Marizanne Kapp was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 23 runs in her 4 overs, while Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka each took 1 wicket.
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