11 Sep Kapp And Luus Power Proteas Women To Emphatic Win Over Pakistan
KARACHI: The Proteas Women bounced back from the T20 International series defeat with a convincing 127-run victory in the first of three ICC Women’s Championship One-Day Internationals (ODI) against Pakistan thanks to match-winning centuries from Suné Luus and Marizanne Kapp in Karachi on Friday.
Luus recorded her first-ever century in South African colours with an unbeaten 107* off 129 balls (7 fours) while Kapp delivered a Player of the Match performance with a 105-ball 100 (12 fours, 1 six) as the Proteas Women posted 292/4 before career-best figures from Nadine de Klerk (3/33) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (3/39) helped restrict Pakistan to 165 all out.
The away side won the toss and elected to bat first in the sweltering heat at the National Stadium, with openers Tazmin Brits (17) and Laura Wolvaardt (17) making an aggressive start to help the Proteas reach 27/0 after three overs.
Following a positive opening period with the bat, Pakistan delivered two crucial blows within a span of five balls as Nashra Sandhu trapped Brits LBW before Umm-e-Hani’s (1/59) spin also got the better of Wolvaardt who was caught by Sandhu in the inner ring. Despite a mini rebuild by Luus and Lara Goodall (15) to take the Proteas into the 10th over, the home side’s Aliya Riaz (1/31) made an instant impact with ball in hand to get rid of the latter and help Pakistan pick up a total of three wickets within the opening powerplay.
With the scoreboard showing 64/3, Kapp joined Luus at the crease as South Africa looked to restrict the fall of wickets while maintaining the impressive start with the bat. The pair, with over 230 ODI caps between them, showcased their level of maturity and know-how to safely guide the visitors to the drinks break on 90/3 before bringing up three figures and their fifty-run partnership by the 22nd over.
With both batters looking settled in the middle, Luus was the first to reach her half-century – the 13th of her career – before Kapp followed suit with her 11th career half-ton as South Africa reached 163/3 at the end of the 30th over.
In approaching the final 20 overs of the innings, Kapp and Luus began to accelerate at the crease, with both players running effectively between the wickets and dispatching bad balls to the boundary en route to their respective centuries.
In calm fashion, Kapp got to her second career century – also her second against Pakistan – before eventually being caught out in the deep off the bowling of Sandhu to bring to an end to the important fourth-wicket partnership worth 183 runs.
Despite losing her batting partner, Luus remained composed with the willow as she finally raised her bat for a long-awaited maiden ODI hundred prior to combining well with new batter, Nadine de Klerk (29*) as both batters saw South Africa to 292/4 at the end of the 50 overs.
Sandhu finished as Pakistan’s outstanding bowler, with figures of two for 50 in 10 overs.
With ball in hand, the Proteas Women made early inroads into the Pakistan batting order as they looked to successfully defend their first innings score. Seamer, Ayabonga Khaka (1/28) made the initial breakthrough to dismiss opener Shawaal Zulfiqar (7) before de Klerk picked up two quick wickets to send Bismah Maroof (10) and Sidra Ameen (19) back to the changeroom to leave the home side 38/3 in the 12th over.
Faced with an uphill battle, Pakistan suffered two more setbacks to their chase, this time, through Mlaba who also struck in quick succession to dismiss Muneeba Ali (20) and Nida Dar (11) to leave the subcontinent outfit five down after the first drinks break.
Although Pakistan experienced a momentary reprieve through a 42-run partnership between Aliya Riaz and Sidra Nawaz (18), the wickets began to fall once again as two run outs, a third wicket for both Mlaba and de Klerk, as well as the final scalp of the game from Delmi Tucker (1/40) brought an end to the contest with 13.1 overs to spare with South Africa sealing their first-ever win in Pakistan.
Riaz was left standing as the home side’s top run scorer on 49* off 58 deliveries (6 fours).
With South Africa taking a 1-0 lead, the second ODI will get underway on Monday, 11 September from 15h30 local time (12h30 SAST) at the National Stadium in Karachi.
Fixtures – South Africa Tour to Pakistan 2023/24:
ODI Series:
Monday, 11 September 2023 @ 12h30 SAST – 2nd ODI – Pakistan vs South Africa (National Stadium, Karachi)
Thursday, 14 September 2023 @ 12h30 SAST – 3rd ODI – Pakistan vs South Africa (National Stadium, Karachi)
ENDS
Issued by: Cricket South Africa – Corporate Communications
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