South Africa’s all-round batting performance, led by skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s half-century, eclipsed her counterpart Fatima Sana’s career-best innings as the hosts secured a five-wicket win over Pakistan in a nail-biting first T20I at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.
After being reduced to an alarming 64/6 at one stage, Sana single-handedly led Pakistan’s comeback with a magnificent 41-ball 90, which included seven sixes, as the visitors posted a competitive 180/9 on the board. However, South Africa got over the line off the last ball, with Wolvaardt (61 off 38), Sune Luus (32 off 20) and Kayla Reyneke (29* off 16) being the leading scorers for the hosts.
Fatima Sana 90(41) vs South Africa W | 1st WT20I, 2026 – Potchefstroom | Ball By Ball Highlights pic.twitter.com/EGa9bHqOVL
— Danish (@PctDanish) February 10, 2026
With the T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in England in June, Reyneke seems to be delivering on her promise early. Upon her first senior call-up for the Pakistan series, Clinton du Preez, the convenor of selectors, said: “Kayla Reyneke has always been a talent to watch. She has recently shown clear growth in both her skill set and maturity in her game. This selection is a nod to her consistent progress and allows her to showcase what she can do at an international level.”
Brief Scores: Pakistan 180/9 in 20 overs (Fatima Sana 90, Natalia Pervaiz 20; Ayanda Hlubi 3-41, Kayla Reyneke 2-13) lost to South Africa 185/5 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 61, Sune Luus 32, Kayla Reyneke 29*; Nashra Sandhu 2-27) by 5 wickets.
