Brits’ Heroics deliver Victory! Proteas prevail in Rain-Hit Clash

Tazmin Brits’ scintillating 171* dominated a record opening partnership of 260 with captain Laura Wolvaardt as the Proteas Women posted a daunting total of 292-3 before winning the second one-day international against Pakistan by 26-runs in the second one-day international at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday.

Pakistan were bowled out for 287 in 44.4 overs to concede the three-match series 2-0 with the final game to come on Sunday.

Brits finished with a magnificent, career-best 171 not out from just 141 balls – her sixth ODI century – while captain Wolvaardt made exactly 100 from 129 balls with 10 fours displaying all of her characteristic, silky skills.

But the hosts mounted a scintillating response requiring 313 (DLS) to win with Sidra Amin posting a brilliant 122 from just 110 balls (13x4) and Natalia Pervaiz making 73 from 60 balls before the former missed a sweep against Chloe Tryon (10-0-55-2) and the latter was bowled by Nadine de Klerk (6.4-0-45-3).

Marizanne Kapp, as always, was at the forefront of the bowling attack with 2-37 from seven overs while de Klerk recovered from an expensive start to claim vital wickets which changed the course of the match.

Rain interrupted play after 41 overs with the Proteas on 238-0 and the match was reduced to 46 overs with Brits on 133 and Wolvaardt on 93. Right hander Brits was unrelenting in her assault against the home team’s battery of four spinners striking 20 fours and four sixes during her second century in consecutive matches following her match-winning, unbeaten 101 in the first match of the series at the same venue on Tuesday in which Kapp also scored an unbeaten 120.

The openers were just six runs short of breaking their own national partnership record for any wicket when the rain came but soon marched past the 243 they added against Bangladesh in Benoni in December 2023 and well past the 224 compiled by Johmari Logtenberg and Mignon du Preez against the Netherlands in 2007.

Pakistan’s decision to include an extra spinner in their starting line-up made little sense when they chose to bowl first on a surface offering little assistance to any of the bowlers and they duly suffered with offspinner Omaima Sohail conceding 36 from just five overs.

Brits’ stroke play undoubtedly contributed to a deteriorating display in the field from Pakistan with misfields, two dropped catches and fluffed run out chances not helping their attempts to curtail the scoring. South Africa, however, more than matched their hosts’ sloppiness with six dropped catches of their own.

Wolvaardt was always happy to play a supporting role while Brits was reverse and slog-sweeping the spinners who had no answer to her power and placement.

PAKISTAN: Muneeba Ali, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (captain), Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wkt), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Miane Smit, Marizanne Kapp, Nondumiso Shangase, Annerie Derckson, Karabo Meso (wkt), Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Masabata Klaas, Tumi Sekhukhune.