South Africa Women Vs Pakistan Women: Luus and Jafta steer Proteas to 260 for six in Bloemfontein

In the opening ODI at the Mangaung Oval, south africa women vs pakistan women produced a rain-delayed, 41-over contest after morning showers, with Proteas batters Sune Luus and Sinalo Jafta unbeaten as South Africa finished on 260 for six — a match headline elsewhere listed the target as 261.

Luus and Jafta finish with a late flourish

Sune Luus smashed an unbeaten 93 off 76 balls (8x4; 1x6) and Sinalo Jafta, in her 50th ODI, recorded a maiden half-century — an unbeaten 57 off 38 balls with eight fours — to lift the Proteas at the end of the innings, stitching an unbeaten 90-run partnership off 56 balls that closed the scorebook in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

Match delayed by rain, reduced to 41 overs

Morning rain delayed the start by two and a half hours, forcing officials to reduce the match to a 41-over-a-side game; Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl at the Mangaung Oval, where showers lingered through the day and more rain was expected.

South Africa Women Vs Pakistan Women

The three-match ODI series is the opening tie in South Africa's eight-fixture campaign in the ICC Women’s Championship and begins their road toward qualification for the 2029 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, with the host nation for that tournament still to be confirmed.

How the Proteas innings unfolded

Opener Tazmin Brits fell for 10 at the start of the fifth over, miscued on a pull off Diana Baig and was pouched by Nashra Sandhu at mid on as South Africa crawled to 19 for one. Captain Laura Wolvaardt then struck 43 off 50 balls (5x4) and, with Lara Goodall, put on 47 for the second wicket before Goodall reverse-swept for four and was out next ball to Sadia Iqbal, caught by Sandhu at backward point.

Five overs later, with the score 84 for three after 17 overs, Wolvaardt, having been bogged down, attempted to hit out and skyed Sandhu to Aliya Riaz at long on. Annerie Dercksen arrived and made 31 off 37 balls (3x4; 1x6) to join Luus in an 80-run third-wicket stand that took South Africa past 150 in the 27th over; Luus reached a 46-ball fifty in the following over.

The Proteas then slipped from 164 for three in the 30th over to 170 for six by the 32nd: Dercksen was clean bowled by Syeda Aroob Shah, Chloe Tryon was bowled by Nashra Sandhu for a fifth-ball duck, and Nadine de Klerk was pinned dead in front LBW by Ayesha Zafar. Jafta and Luus counterattacked thereafter, with 85 runs coming off the last nine overs to close on a defendable total.

Squads and match context

PROTEAS WOMEN: Tazmin Brits, Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Lara Goodall, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayanda Hlubi, Nonkululeko Mlaba. PAKISTAN WOMEN: Muneeba Ali (wk), Sadaf Shams, Ayesha Zafar, Sidra Amin, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Nashra Sandhu, Syeda Aroob Shah, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal.

Stakes, local knowledge and preparation

The series arrives with the 2026 T20 World Cup in England on the horizon, but South Africa’s 50-over campaign remains crucial; coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who played his first-class cricket in Bloemfontein, and several players bring local roots to the City of Roses. Captain Laura Wolvaardt said the side would lean on that local knowledge, calling the ground "a good place to bat" and expressing excitement to be back in Bloemfontein, where strong ticket sales suggested a near full house despite the weather threat.

Wolvaardt also outlined a clear focus on improving power-hitting for white-ball cricket, noting specific drills introduced by coach Mandla Mashimbyi and technical work around strong, stable positions to deliver bigger hits early in an innings. Annerie Dercksen was noted striking the ball long in power-hitting training, and 18-year-old Fay Cowling could be on debut for South Africa in the series.

The three-match ODI series continues as the immediate path for both teams in the ICC Women’s Championship and their bid for early qualification in the 2029 World Cup cycle; rain will remain a factor in Bloemfontein for the remainder of the opening day.