Colombo: South Africa steamrolled Pakistan by 150 runs in a rain-affected round robin league match to leapfrog to the top of the points table in the Women’s World Cup here on Tuesday.
South Africa now have 10 points from six games and at least for a day, they would be above Australia and England — both on 9 points and pitted against each other on Wednesday at Indore.
After initial delay, the match was curtailed to 40-over per side with South Africa scoring 312 for 9 riding on Laura Wolvaardt’s 90 and half-centuries from Sune Luus (61) and Marizanne Kapp (68).
However, multiple rain interruptions forced a further revision, and Pakistan were set a DLS target of 234 in 20 overs. They could manage only 83 for seven in reply.
Pakistan were never in contention to chase down the target and by the end of the 10th over, they had been reduced to 35 for 4 when heavens opened up.
Having already played her hand with a useful 68 while batting, Marizanne Kapp ran through Pakistan’s top-order, taking three out of the four wickets to completely crush any hopes of a miraculous chase.
Once rains stopped, South Africa managed to get two points that they fully deserved.
Earlier Laura Wolvaardt provided an attacking start, Kapp lent solidity in the middle order, and Nadine de Klerk produced her customary late flourish as South Africa posted an imposing target.
Wolvaardt struck 90 off 82 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, adding 118 runs in just over 15 overs for the second wicket with Sune Luus (61 off 59 balls), who also hit eight fours and two sixes.
Once Luus was gone, it was seasoned Kapp, who contributed 68 and also added 60 for the fourth wicket with Wolvaardt, who played strokes all-around the park.
The normally steady skipper Fatima Sana was taken for 69 runs in eight overs with as many as eight fours and three sixes hit off her bowling. Spinner Sadia Iqbal was smashed for four sixes and seven fours, while veteran Diana Baig gave away 49 in her five overs.
It was de Klerk, who has been a revelation as a finisher in the tournament, whose 16-ball-41 provided the final impetus to the team score.
De Kerk hit three fours and as many as four maximums — three of which were special shots. One of left-arm spinner Iqbal was hit over long-off, while Fatima was punished down the ground and then also hoicked over mid-wicket.
Kapp, on her part, had smashed a half-tracker from Sadia Iqbal over midwicket fence and also hit Fatima over square leg as it became literal run-feast for the Proteas women towards the end of the innings.
