CAPE TOWN - The Proteas women may not be producing the most clinical performances at the moment, but they do know how to close out a match. They achieved that again at Kingsmead to defeat Pakistan by 32 runs in the third and final ODI to complete a 3-0 whitewash.
Hilton Moreeng’s team have now won six successive ODI’s after defeating New Zealand 3-0 in their last series prior to the lockdown break.
With the series already settled during last Saturday’s “Black ODI”, the South African management felt this dead-rubber would be a good chance to have a closer look at the depth in their squad.
The Proteas have been without regular captain Dane van Niekerk and vice-captain Chloe Tryon for the duration series, allowing Laura Goodall and Nadine de Klerk valuable opportunities.
Your #MomentumProteas have done it in style with a clean sweep against Pakistan Women in the WODI Series.
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Moreeng shuffled the deck even further on Tuesday by resting senior players Marizanne Kapp and Mignon du Preez. North West captain Tazmin Brits was handed an ODI debut, while Anne Bosch was also included in the middle-order.
Unfortunately for Moreeng and national convenor of selectors Clinton du Preez, the experimentation did not yield immediate results with South Africa’s new-look middle-order floundering after a positive start by the opening pair of Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt.
The experienced duo put on 79 for the first wicket before Lee drove Nashra Sandu to the impressive Diana Baig at cover to be dismissed for 49 off 68 balls (7x4). Wolvaardt, though, upped the ante after Lee’s dismissal and quickly moved to her 17th career half-century.
However, it was Baig that once again precipitated a Proteas collapse by removing Wolvaardt (58 off 72 balls, 9x4) and Goodall (0) in one over. South Africa’s innings fell away after Baig’s double strike as the last nine wickets fell for the addition of just 77 runs.
Baig was the chief-destroyer as she picked up a further two wickets to finish with 4/30, which pushed her tally up to nine for the series.
💯 Sune Luus has joined an elite club, becoming the 10th women to complete the double of 100 wickets and 1000 ODI runs#AlwaysRising pic.twitter.com/tLa8a6vRoZ
But like South Africa have shown throughout the series that they are able to put the squeeze on when it mattered, and they did that again with the ball.
Even without Kapp, who was so instrumental last Saturday, the bowling unit never gave Pakistan a sniff during their run chase.
Shabnim Ismail is a genuinely world-class performer and the experienced seamer once again led the way with figures of 3/22. Her pace and accuracy was simply too much for the visitors to contend with, and was rewarded for her efforts in all three matches with the Player of the Match and Player of the Series’ awards.
Ismail was well-supported by her skipper Sune Luus, who finally found some form with the ball after struggling in the previous two matches, to claim 3/35, which included her 100th ODI wicket.
South Africa’s experience certainly showed in the field with Ayabonga Khaka also bagging 3/29 to finish with seven wickets in the series, despite only playing the last two matches.
Pakistan captain Javeria Khan promoted herself to the top of the order and battled away with a hard-fought 33 off 61 balls, but unfortunately did not have sufficient support lower down the order to haul in the target.
Both teams will enjoy a couple of days break before locking horns again in the T20I series starting later this week.