Tazmin Brits' back-to-back centuries hands South Africa 25-run victory in 2nd ODI

Proteas women’s batters Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt scored centuries to help South Africa seal a 25-run victory at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday, handing the visitors an unassailable 2-0 lead with one match remaining in the series.

While Brits and Wolvaardt set the foundation for the victory, it was a combined bowling and fielding effort that secured it.

With first-choice bowlers Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba missing the match, the likes of Masabata Klaas, Nadine de Klerk and Nondumiso Shangase had to step up to help the team secure a victory.

Marizanne Kapp led the bowling attack, striking early as she dismissed Muneeba Ali (1) in the third over of the 313 run defence. Klaas followed suit shortly after, dismissing Omaima Sohail (43) just outside the first power play to hand South Africa their second scalp of the evening.

Eight overs later, off-spinner Shangase kept things tight in her first spell and was eventually rewarded with the wicket of Aliya Riaz (18).

Just as South Africa was starting to dominate, Pakistan women’s top-order batter Sidra Amin showed resistance as the right-hander dug deep, feasting on the bad balls and knocking around singles to frustrate the visitors.

Amin had a capable partner in middle-order batter Natalia Pervaiz as the pair put together 168 runs for the fourth wicket with Amin scoring 122 off 110, her second century in the series, before she was clean bowled by the left-arm spin of Chloe Tryon.

From there on in, it was a De Klerk show, as the medium pacer clean bowled both Pervaiz (73) and Dian Baig (0) in successive deliveries to put South Africa in the driving seat. 

The hosts would go on to lose the match by 26 runs and hand the visitors the series with one match remaining. 

Earlier, opening batters Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt put on a batting masterclass in Lahore, as both batters crossed the three-figure mark to help South Africa set a competitive total.

Brits, from an unbeaten century in the opening match, continued her rich vein of form, putting the Pakistan women’s bowlers to the sword as she put together an unbeaten 171, a knock that saw the powerful right-handed batter smash 20 fours and four sixes.

At the other end, Wolvaardt played a cautious knock, rotating the strike consistently and eventually reached her ninth ODI century off 128 balls before she lost her wicket off the very next ball.

The pair put on a record 260 run stand, surpassing their previous record of 243 against Bangladesh women in Benoni almost two years ago.

With the foundation set, the visitors managed to put on 292 runs in 46 overs as the match was rain-affected, with DLS taking the target to 313 runs.

Scorecard Summary

South Africa: 292/3 (312 DLS) (Tazmin Brits 171 not out, Laura Wolvaardt 100; Dian Baig 2/45)
Pakistan: 287 all out (Sidra Amin 122, Natalia Pervaiz 73; Nadine de Klerk 3/45 )

South Africa won by 25 runs and secured an unassailable 2-0 series with one match remaining