Skipper Fatima Sana hit an unbeaten half-century as Pakistan set a 127-run target for South Africa in their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s decision to bat first backfired as the Green Shirts could accumulate 126/9 in their 20 overs despite her valiant half-century at the backend.
The Green Shirts got off to a disastrous start to their innings as Kapp dismissed both their openers, Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza, zero and one, respectively, in the first over, with three runs on the board.
Kapp struck again in her next over, dismissing top-order batter Ayesha Zafar (nine), while Ayabonga Khaka cleaned up Natalia Pervaiz (four) to reduce Pakistan to 14/4 in 3.2 overs.
Middle-order batters Rameen Shamim (six) and Iram Javed (11) then shared a brief 15-run partnership for the fifth wicket before both got run out in quick succession.
Returning Shabnim Ismail then inflicted another blow to Pakistan’s batting expedition exactly at the halfway mark as she got Aliya Riaz caught at backward point by Sune Luus, while Nashra Sandhu’s run-out on the fourth delivery of the next over reduced them further to 50/8.
Following the slump, Pakistan captain Fatima joined forces with lower-order batter Tuba Hassan, and the duo batted valiantly to put together a 71-run partnership for the ninth wicket, which helped them breach the 120-run barrier.
The sensational partnership culminated with Tuba’s runout on the fourth delivery of the final over as she walked back after scoring a crucial 23 off 27 deliveries with the help of two fours.
Fatima, on the other hand, batted until the end and walked back after top-scoring with an unbeaten 55 off 38 deliveries, studded with six fours and two sixes.
Kapp was the standout bowler for South Africa as she took three wickets for just 23 runs in her four overs, while Ismail and Khaka chipped in with one scalp apiece.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Ayesha Zafar, Iram Javed, Natalia Pervaiz, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Rameen Shamim, Tuba Hasan, Nashra Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Kayla Reyneke, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba.
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