South Africa Women Vs Pakistan Women: south africa women vs pakistan women — Luus, Jafta set Pakistan 261 to win
In the south africa women vs pakistan women opening match at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Sune Luus and Sinalo Jafta produced a late charge to lift South Africa to 260 for six, setting Pakistan 261 to win in a rain-shortened 41-over contest after a two and a half hour morning delay. Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl.
Rain delay and match reduction
Morning rain forced a two and a half hour delay and ultimately reduced the contest to a 41-over-a-side match. Rain lingered over Bloemfontein with more expected throughout the day, a backdrop that had prompted concerns it could wash play out after strong ticket sales had pointed towards a full house. The fixture at the Mangaung Oval took place on Sunday under that weather threat.
South Africa Women Vs Pakistan Women scoreboard
The Proteas batted first and posted a competitive 260 for six, effectively setting Pakistan 261 to win in the opening one-day international. Sune Luus finished unbeaten on 93 off 76 balls, striking eight fours and one six. Sinalo Jafta, in her 50th ODI for the Proteas women, recorded a maiden half-century — an unbeaten 38-ball 57 featuring eight fours. Laura Wolvaardt, the captain, contributed 43 off 50 balls with five fours. Annerie Dercksen scored 31 off 37 balls (3x4; 1x6). The pair of Luus and Jafta compiled an unbeaten 90-run partnership off just 56 balls at the end of the innings, and 85 runs came off the last nine overs.
Luus and Jafta finishing flourish
Luus and Jafta counterattacked down the back end to lift the total after a mid-innings wobble. Luus reached a 46-ball fifty during the late charge. The Proteas had slipped from 164 for three in the 30th over to 170 for six in the 32nd over, but that late 90-run stand provided the platform for a defendable total.
Early innings and key dismissals
The Proteas innings began with Tazmin Brits falling for 10 at the start of the fifth over, miscuing a pull off Diana Baig to Nashra Sandhu at mid on with the score 19 for one. Laura Wolvaardt and Lara Goodall then combined for a 47-run second-wicket stand. Goodall, who had just reverse-swept a nice four, was out the next delivery when she hit Sadia Iqbal straight to Nashra Sandhu at backward point and finished on 13. Five overs later Wolvaardt, having been slightly bogged down, tried to hit out but skyed Sandhu to Aliya Riaz at long on, leaving South Africa 84 for three after 17 overs.
Wickets, partnerships and the turning points
After Wolvaardt's dismissal, Annerie Dercksen joined Luus and the two added an 80-run third-wicket partnership that took the Proteas past 150 in the 27th over. Momentum then swung as a cluster of wickets fell: 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’s entry and the subsequent opening-up by Luus reversed the slide and produced the late flourish.
Series stakes and preparations
The three-match ODI series marks the start of eight fixtures South Africa will play in the ICC Women’s Championship, as they aim for automatic qualification for the 2029 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup; the host nation for that tournament is still to be confirmed. While much attention sits on the 2026 T20 World Cup in England, the 50-over campaign remains crucial.
Coach Mandla Mashimbyi has a connection to the venue, having played his first-class cricket in Bloemfontein. Captain Laura Wolvaardt said: “It’s great to be here – a lot of our coaches and players have local knowledge of the conditions and the ground, which really helps. From what I’ve heard, it’s a good place to bat, and we’re excited to be back. It should be a really enjoyable experience. ”
Wolvaardt added: “It’s massive to start well in a cycle like this – you don’t want to find yourself in a position where you’re facing a couple of must-win games at the end, because that can be quite stressful. If you can qualify early, it puts you in a great position. It also adds a bit more pressure to every match, which makes each game really important. Hopefully, we can make the most of that and collect as many points as possible. ”
On power-hitting she said: “With the T20 World Cup coming up, we’ve made a conscious effort to keep improving our power-hitting in training. Coach Mandla (Mashimbyi) has introduced specific drills, and it’s not something we’ve focused heavily on in the past. There’s a lot of technical work involved, especially around getting into strong, stable positions. It’s been surprising to see how far we can hit the ball when everything comes together, and it’s definitely something that can make a difference at the World Cup. In the past, I tended to start slowly and build into my innings, but the modern white-ball game really demands a strong start, especially during the powerplay. ”
The squad list names to watch include 18-year-old Fay Cowling, who could be on debut, and Annerie Dercksen, who was noted practicing long hitting in training.
Team lists for the match
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.
A related headline in coverage read: "Sana sparkles with bat and ball to give Pakistan consolation win. " Another preview headline noted: "Proteas women bat first in opening ODI against Pakistan. " A separate preview warned: "Rain threat looms over Bloemfontein ODI clash. "
Play moved from a weather-threatened start to a late charge by Luus and Jafta that left Pakistan with 261 to chase in the first match of the series.
