Fatima Sana’s counterpunching 90 in vain as South Africa bag thriller

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.

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.