Proteas Women survive Fatima Sana all-round heroics to edge past Pakistan in Edgbaston thriller

The Proteas only just returned to winning ways at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup as they edged home in a two-wicket win over Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday.

With Marizanne Kapp (3/23) spearheading the bowling attack, the Proteas restricted Pakistan to 122/9 before a jittery run chase eventually needed a wide from Pakistan captain Fatima Sana to cross the line.

Sana had done almost everything right throughout the day until that point, with the Pakistan skipper rescuing her team’s innings with an undefeated 55 off 38 balls (6x4, 2x6) before claiming 3/16 with the ball to almost snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Annerie Dercksen top-scored with 52 off 35 balls and Nadine de Klerk managed 37 for the Proteas, but the story could have been altogether different had De Klerk not been dropped earlier.

In fact, Pakistan will reflect on plenty of misfields and a further couple of dropped catches that could have changed the outcome of the entire match.

Although they had fought back brilliantly with the ball later in the match, their batting effort — after winning the toss and opting to take first strike — got off to the worst possible start. Kapp trapped Muneeba Ali off the very first ball of the innings, before fellow opener Gull Feroza was also back in the pavilion before the end of the first over.

Bowling a tight line and length, the Proteas kept the pressure on Pakistan, with Kapp removing Ayesha Zafar before Ayabonga Khaka joined in on the act with Natalia Pervaiz’s wicket as the Asian nation slumped to 14/4 after 3.2 overs.

Pakistan suffered further misery when Rameen Shamim was run out as they ended the Powerplay on 29/5. Shamim’s run-out was the first of four as Pakistan’s innings began to capitulate.

But it was the Proteas’ arch-nemesis, Fatima Sana, who ensured her team would post a respectable total.

Sana has blitzed the Proteas many times before and did so again, finding an able partner in Tuba Hassan (23). The pair shared a marvellous 71-run partnership off 54 balls for the ninth wicket to resuscitate the Pakistan innings.

On resumption, the Proteas' run chase stuttered out of the starting blocks, with Sune Luus (5) failing again at the top of the order after she inside-edged onto her stumps.

Dercksen counter-attacked as she dominated a second-wicket stand of 42 off 31 balls with captain Laura Wolvaardt, who contributed just two runs to the partnership before Wolvaardt mistimed an attempted sweep shot.

Dercksen, however, continued to play freely to bring up only her second T20I half-century, which will go a long way in helping her secure the troublesome No. 3 spot.

Pakistan, though, never went away, with their spinners Sadia Iqbal (2/26) and Tuba Hassan (2/28) chipping away to leave the Proteas precariously placed at 107/6.

But there was even more drama to come, with Fatima Sana dismissing both Sinalo Jafta and De Klerk in the 17th over, giving her team a chance. Ultimately, however, it was the Proteas who kept their ICC T20 World Cup campaign alive by the barest of margins.