The Pakistan women’s team secured a five-wicket win against South Africa in the opening T20I at the National Bank Cricket Arena, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The tension-filled match concluded on the final ball with Aliya Riaz hitting the winning runs, completing the highest successful T20I chase to date for Pakistan.
It is worth mentioning that this marked the first time the Women in Green successfully chased a target exceeding 150 runs in a T20I.
Despite the early loss of the opening batter, Shawaal Zulfiqar, in the third over of the innings, the team maintained a positive mindset and stayed ahead of the required run rate.
Four of the five wickets lost by Pakistan were due to runouts, with Sidra Ameen, Bismah Maroof, Nida Dar, and Muneeba Ali all having to return to the pavilion for this reason.
Bismah Maroof was the top performer for the national team, contributing 37 runs off 30 balls, while Sidra Ameen followed closely with 33 runs off 31 balls.
Batting first, South Africa’s openers, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, laid a solid foundation with an 85-run partnership until Wolvaardt was bowled by Nashra Sandhu.
The outstanding knock of 78 runs from Tazmin Brits, featuring 10 boundaries, helped South Africa reach a challenging total of 150 for three at the end of the innings.
Source: ProPakistani