Kapp, Brits headline South Africa's comprehensive win in the first T20I

South Africa continued their winning momentum from the ODI series and romped to a comprehensive eight-wicket win in the first T20I at Kingsmead, Durban on Friday (January 29). Marizanne Kapp headlined the bowling efforts with a three-wicket haul, while Tazmin Brits remained unbeaten on 52 during the chase.



Pakistan were dealt a body blow even before the match started as skipper Javeria Khan was ruled out with an injured index finger and they started with four changes in the XI. After stand-in skipper Aliya Riaz opted to bat, Omaima Sohail looked good for a brief while, playing a sweep off Nonkululeko Mlaba to fine-leg for four in the opening over and added another couple with a confident drive off Shabnim Ismail. But her innings was cut short when she dragged Kapp on to her stumps for ten.



Post her dismissal, Pakistan found themselves following the same script from the ODIs and were at 32 for 3 in the seventh over. First, Ismail set Ayesha Zafar up with the consistent back of the length bowling before bamboozling her with a slower one, and then out of touch Nahida Khan played a tame shot to short mid-wicket.



From there, except for a couple of back-t0-back boundaries from Kainat Imtiaz, Pakistan struggled to find the boundaries in the middle overs even as Muneeba Ali played a lot of shots, albeit without any success. Eventually, Masabata Klaas ended Ali’s innings for a 26-ball 21 before Imtiaz found Brits in the deep off Ayabonga Khaka to reduce Pakistan to 76 for 5 in 14.1 overs.



However, Nida Dar, batting as low as seven, was aggressive from the start slog-sweeping Khaka for a couple of boundaries from the first two balls she faced. In the company of young Ayesha Naseem, Dar put on a partnership of 42 from 27 balls. The allrounder stayed outside the off-stump and tried to exploit the leg-side field during her 15-ball unbeaten cameo of 22.



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Meanwhile, Naseem, playing only her first innings in international cricket, was impressive during her 31-run knock and played a couple of shots down the ground. But the batting order meant Riaz walked in only in the final over the innings and was dismissed for a solitary run. Pakistan’s innings eventually finished on 124 for 8 from their 20 overs.



For South Africa, Kapp was the most impressive bowler on display with figures of 3 for 24, while Ismail finished with two wickets to her name.



In reply, Brits and Lizelle Lee got South Africa off to a solid start adding 37 runs in the power play. Brits started the innings with a four off Diana Baig’s opening over before Lee found a boundary each off Anam Amin and Aiman Anwer. South Africa lost Lee against the run of play when she found Dar at deep square-leg off Anwer for 22 in the seventh over.



In-form Kapp joined Brits in the middle and despite some sloppy running that almost sent Kapp back to the pavilion, they rarely looked troubled by the visitors’ bowling. A solid looking Brits, first swept Dar for a boundary through mid-wicket before cutting Sohail through point for another four. Then Kapp smashed a leg-side Amin delivery for four through fine-leg for four. They brought up their fifty partnership from 40 balls as Pakistan fed them with some wayward bowling and allowed the pair to rotate the strike without any discomfort.



Even though the hosts lost Kapp against the run of play to a juggling stumping by Ali for 28, it was far too late for Pakistan with the Proteas just 18 away. In between two Laura Wolvaardt boundaries, Brits got to her fifty from 51 balls with a single off Amin in the 18^th over before scoring the winning run in the next over as South Africa romped home by eight wickets.







For Pakistan, Anwer was the only wicket-taker as she finished with figures of 2 for 29 from her four overs.



Brief Scores: Pakistan 124/8 in 20 overs (Ayesha Naseem 31, Kainat Imtiaz 24; Marizanne Kapp 3/24, Shabnim Ismail 2/20) lost to South Africa 125/2 in 19 overs (Tazmin Brits 52*, Marizanne Kapp 28; Aiman Anwer 2/29) by 8 wickets.