South Africa 132 for 4 (Brits 56, Luus 27, Iqbal 3-34) defeated Pakistan 122 for 5 (Riaz 52, Sana 37*, Sekhukhune 2-15, Kapp 2-22) by ten runs.
Eighteen-year-old Seshnie Naidu had a remarkable T20I debut in Multan, taking a spectacular catch at short fine leg and claiming a wicket with her second ball, as South Africa edged Pakistan by ten runs in the opening match of the three-game series.
This was the first-ever T20I, for both men and women, at this venue. Despite South Africa not reaching the “10 or 15 runs over 150” that captain Laura Wolvaardt had hoped for, they appeared to be in control with Pakistan struggling at 47 for 5. However, a strong sixth-wicket partnership of 75 off 45 balls between Aliya Riaz and new captain Fatima Sana brought Pakistan back into contention. South Africa was forced to work hard to defend their total, not helped by dropping three crucial catches—an area Wolvaardt noted for improvement.
Wolvaardt was responsible for the first dropped chance in the fifth over, with Pakistan at 14 for 2. Nida Dar skied Tumi Sekhukhune’s delivery to mid-off, but Wolvaardt couldn’t hold onto the catch. Later, Chloe Tryon dropped Sana on 10 off Sune Luus, and Luus herself missed another chance to dismiss Sana when she was on 22. Despite these mistakes, South Africa held on for a much tighter victory than anticipated.
South Africa’s experienced players stepped up: Tazmin Brits scored her third T20I half-century in four matches to lift her team from 20 for 2 in the third over, while Luus added a run-a-ball 27 (her first score over 20 this year) and Tryon contributed 15 not out off 7 balls. The 63-run partnership between Brits and Luus off 61 balls stabilized the innings.
Pakistan struck early with spin as Sadia Iqbal removed Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch with consecutive deliveries. However, Pakistan may need to reconsider their reliance on spin, as they bowled 16 overs of it and fielded only one seamer—Fatima Sana—while leaving Diana Baig out on what was expected to be a spin-friendly track.
Despite restricting South Africa to 132 for 4, the effectiveness of a varied attack became clear when South Africa bowled. Senior seamers Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka completed their full quotas, while five other bowlers chipped in. Kapp opened with a maiden over and took a wicket with her second ball as Gull Feroza lofted a catch. Khaka followed suit, giving away just one run in her first over before Kapp bowled Sidra Amin to leave Pakistan at 6 for 2. Muneeba Ali and Nida Dar attempted to relieve the pressure with boundaries, but then came the highlight.
Muneeba tried to flick Sekhukhune fine, only for Naidu to dive and pull off a stunning catch, reaching behind her shoulder and holding on even as her elbow hit the ground. It took multiple replays to confirm the catch. Naidu then bowled her second ball to dismiss Sadaf Shamas, reducing Pakistan to 21 for 4.
South Africa eased up after that, allowing Pakistan to find runs more easily. Aliya and Sana’s clean hitting into the night sky, with each batter hitting five fours and Aliya adding a six, brought Pakistan closer, but ultimately, they fell short by ten runs.
