Mlaba and de Klerk took three apiece as Pakistan wilted in the face of the 293-run target
Abhimanyu Bose08-Sep-2023Centuries from Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp laid down the platform for a 127-run win that gave South Africa a 1-0 lead in the ODI series against Pakistan in Karachi on Friday.Luus and Kapp’s 183-run stand for the fourth wicket helped South Africa put 292 on the board before Nadine de Klerk and Nonkululeko Mlaba helped skittle Pakistan out for 165 in 36.5 overs.Luus hit seven fours in her unbeaten 107 off 129 deliveries, while Kapp smashed 12 fours and a six in her 105-ball 100.Luus was given a life while batting on 23, when she tried to drive Ghulam Fatima and was dropped by Pakistan captain Nida Dar at short cover. But it was a chanceless knock from her after that, as she and Kapp often resorted to their solid back-foot game to negotiate Pakistan’s spinners and dominate the middle overs.Kapp and Luus balanced aggression and caution perfectly, with one of them shifting up gears when the other was slowing down, ensuring that the team’s tempo stayed steady.Kapp, who came in to bat in the tenth over after Aliya Riaz had dismissed Lara Goodall with her first delivery, started off with a first-ball boundary.Luus was the first to get to her half-century and Kapp soon followed suit. Kapp soon moved ahead of her partner and reached her century off 104 deliveries in the 43rd over before holing out in the deep off the next delivery she faced.It was her second ODI century, with the first having also come against Pakistan in Cuttack in the 2013 World Cup.Luus did not score a boundary for her last 30 runs but was clinical with her strike rotation as she notched her maiden ODI ton. It was de Klerk who gave South Africa the boost they needed at the death with a 23-ball 29.Both of Marizanne Kapp’s ODI centuries have come against Pakistan, ten years apart•PCB
Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt got the visitors off to a rollicking start as South Africa raced to 27 off the first three overs, 26 off those runs coming off Diana Baig’s first two overs.But Pakistan fought back in the next two overs with a wicket in each. Nashra Sandhu struck first, with the wicket of Brits, before taking Wolvaardt’s catch off Umm-e-Hani.But South Africa kept attacking in the powerplay, with Goodall and Luus adding 24 in 28 deliveries. Once Goodall nicked behind, it was all about the Kapp and Luus show.Pakistan started well in their chase, with openers Sidra Ameen and Shawaal Zulfiqar putting on a 23-run stand. But once Ayabonga Khaka gave South Africa the first breakthrough by castling Shawaal, Pakistan’s top and middle order crumbled.De Klerk was again instrumental, first bowling Bismah Maroof and then trapping Ameen lbw in back-to-back overs.Mlaba was next to strike as she got through Dar’s defence next over and then sent Muneeba Ali packing four overs later.Riaz provided some resistance, as she and Sidra Nawaz added 42 runs for the sixth wicket, but once Mlaba had Nawaz nicking off, it was all over for Pakistan.Riaz was stranded on 49 as she ran out of partners, with Hani and Baig run out and Sandhu becoming de Klerk’s third victim. Delmi Tucker, playing her fourth ODI, wrapped up the win by trapping Fatima in front.
