Pakistan’s struggles in the sports world continued as the women’s cricket team suffered a close defeat to South Africa in the first match of the T20 series. Despite setting a record-breaking partnership, Pakistan fell short by just 10 runs, giving South Africa a 1-0 lead in the series. This defeat follows a string of poor performances for Pakistan in various sports, from hockey to cricket, making it a challenging time for the nation’s athletes.
South Africa Posts 132 Runs in 20 Overs
The opening match of the three-match T20 series was held in Multan, where South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first. The team managed to post a competitive total of 132 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Opener Tazmin Brits led the charge for South Africa with a solid unbeaten knock of 56 runs, including 5 boundaries. Brits played a steady inning, facing 63 balls to anchor her team’s total. For Pakistan, Sadia Iqbal was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets and restricting South Africa’s run flow.
Pakistan’s Early Collapse Followed by Record Partnership
Chasing a target of 133 runs, Pakistan’s women’s team, under new captain Fatima Sana, got off to a disastrous start. The team lost 5 wickets for just 47 runs, putting them in a tough spot early in the match. However, experienced batter Alia Riaz and captain Fatima Sana put up a valiant fight, leading to a record partnership for the sixth wicket.
The duo shared a remarkable 75-run partnership, which is now the highest sixth-wicket stand for Pakistan in women’s T20 Internationals. This partnership broke the previous record of 67 runs set by Nida Dar and Alia Riaz.
Alia and Fatima’s Heroics Fall Short as Pakistan Loses by 10 Runs
Both Alia Riaz and Fatima Sana remained unbeaten at the end of the innings, but their efforts weren’t enough to secure victory for Pakistan. Alia played a brilliant knock of 56 not out from 39 balls, hitting 5 boundaries and 1 six, while Fatima supported her well with 37 not out from 24 balls. Despite their impressive performance, Pakistan could only manage 122 runs for 5 wickets in their 20 overs, falling short by 10 runs.
With this victory, South Africa has taken an early lead in the series, putting pressure on Pakistan to bounce back in the upcoming matches. The team will need to regroup and improve their top-order performance to avoid a series loss.
