Marizanne Kapp’s all-round brilliance and Laura Wolvaardt’s elegant 90 guided South Africa Women to a commanding 150-run victory (DLS method) over Pakistan in a rain-hit encounter at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Tuesday.
The win, South Africa’s fifth in a row after their shock collapse in the opening game, took them to the top of the Women’s World Cup table and confirmed Pakistan’s elimination. It also marked the first time the Proteas have won five consecutive matches in an ODI World Cup.
Wolvaardt and Luus Lead the Way
After being asked to bat, South Africa recovered from an early setback — Tazmin Brits’ dismissal for a duck — to seize control through a superb 118-run stand between Wolvaardt and Sune Luus. The pair combined placement with timing to blunt Pakistan’s spin attack, both raising their fifties before Luus fell for 61.
Wolvaardt, who struck 11 boundaries in her fluent 90, missed a century by just ten runs but laid the foundation for a massive total.
I think scoring 312 in 40 overs is really nice for us. Kappie was brilliant, Nadine was amazing in the end. Someone up top batting through, someone controlling in the middle, and Nadine with the big finish — I think we ticked all the boxes.
Kapp and de Klerk Finish with a Flourish
After a brief middle-order wobble, Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk launched a brutal late assault, adding 52 off just 23 balls. Kapp smashed an unbeaten 68 off 43 deliveries while de Klerk blazed 41 off 16 as South Africa piled up 312 for 9 in 40 overs.
Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu (3 for 45) and Sadia Iqbal (3 for 63) were the only bowlers to make an impact.
Defending a DLS-adjusted target, South Africa’s bowlers, led by Kapp, dismantled Pakistan early. Kapp removed Omaima Sohail, Sidra Ameen and Aliya Riaz inside the first nine overs to leave Pakistan reeling at 35 for 4.
There was something in the surface, and Kappie and Khaka were really good. We were lucky to get through all four spinners, but our quicks did the job early.
Frequent rain delays further complicated the chase as Pakistan’s target was revised several times — first to 299 in 37 overs, then 270 in 27, and eventually 234 in 20 overs.
Proteas Complete Ruthless Finish
When play resumed one final time, South Africa’s bowlers tightened their grip. Pakistan never recovered from their early collapse and limped to 83 for 7 in 20 overs. Sidra Nawaz (22) and Natalia Pervaiz (20) offered brief resistance, but the result was long decided.
Kapp finished with 3 for 20, while Nondumiso Shangase took 2 for 19 as South Africa sealed a crushing 150-run win under DLS.
Brief Scores: South Africa 312/9 in 40 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 90, Marizanne Kapp 68*; Sadia Iqbal 3-63, Nashra Sandhu 3-45) Pakistan 83/7 in 20 overs (Sidra Nawaz 22, Natalia Pervaiz 20; Marizanne Kapp 3-20, Nondumiso Shangase 2-19):
Result: South Africa won by 150 runs (DLS method)
