Home Sport Cricket Proteas secure series-opening T20 win thanks to half-ton by Brits

Proteas secure series-opening T20 win thanks to half-ton by Brits

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The Proteas lost the toss and did well to recover from a shaky start to set Pakistan a target of 133. The home side could only muster 122/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

Tazmin Brits’ hard-fought innings of 56 off 63 balls kept the innings together for the Proteas Women. Picture: EPA, DAN HIMBRECHTS

The Proteas Women started their Tour of Pakistan with a 10-run victory in the first T20 International on Monday.

Tazmin Brits led the way as the Proteas Women beat Pakistan by 10 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the first of three T20 matches, at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The Proteas lost the toss and did well to recover from a shaky start to set Pakistan a target of 133. The home side could only muster 122/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

The 18-year-old Seshnie Naidu was handed her international T20 debut, while regular spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba missed out, as she continues to recover from a mild illness.

Tazmin Brits’ hard-fought innings of 56 off 63 balls kept the innings together for the visitors, while Marizanne Kapp’s solid start with the ball (2/22) ensured Pakistan could only manage 18/3 in the power play.

Debutant Naidu (1/25) announced herself with a brilliant one-handed catch at square leg off the bowling of Tumi Sekhukhune (2/15), before she registered her first international wicket with the scalp of Sadaf Shams soon thereafter.

The Proteas had to navigate a lively Multan wicket with plenty of uneven bounce early on with a lot of deliveries keeping low. Pakistan left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal (3/34) found the cracks in the visitors’ top order and her double strike ensured South Africa were up against it early as they fell to 37/2 in the first power play.

Laura Wolvaardt looked good despite only scoring 11 runs, while Anneke Bosch’s stay at the crease was limited to a golden duck. South Africa found it hard to rotate the strike, while Pakistan captain Fatima Sana kept the pressure on with her spin-heavy attack.

Brits struggled to get going in the early part of her innings, but the loss of Kapp for 14 required her to play the patient innings. The 33-year-old combined for a brisk partnership of 63 off 61 balls with Sune Luus after South Africa were in trouble at 41/3.

Luus, a brilliant player of spin, did settle things down and she rotated strike well in the early parts of her innings, before she showed off her offside game with a couple of shimmies down the wicket, playing classical lofted extra-cover drives for four. It was the same shot that was her downfall, though, as Iqbal picked up her third wicket of the night, stumped by Muneeba Ali for a run-a-ball 27.

Brits hung on to reach her half-ton and the crucial stand of 28 off 18 balls with Chloe Tryon saw South Africa to a defendable total.

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