Pakistan Women: 153/5 (Sidra Amin 37, Muneeba Ali 33; Sune Luus 1/18, Chloe Tryon 1/23)
South Africa Women: 154/2 (Anneke Bosch 46, Laura Wolvaardt 45; Tuba Hassan 1/26, Sadia Iqbal 1/30)
SA Women won by eight wickets, clinched the series 2-1
IN the heat and humidity of Pakistan, the Proteas Women managed to beat the hosts by eight wickets in the decider in Multan to clinch the T20 series 2-1, for their first series success in Pakistan.
It is clear from the changes that management made to the playing XI across the three matches that one of the main objectives of the tour was to try out newer player combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup in the UAE next month.
In the first match, the side used the experience of Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, while Nonkululeko Mlaba sat out due to an illness.
In the last two matches, the young blood in the squad took on the responsibility as Annerie Dercksen batted at No 4 yesterday.
The youngster repaid the faith shown in her with a match-winning 44 not out, a knock in which the right-hander smashed six fours and two sixes with a strike rate of 191.
Dercksen admitted that the tour was the best preparation for the World Cup starting on October 3.
“I think it’s great preparation leading into the World Cup. I think we’ll face similar conditions there as we did here. The weather is also similar there. It’s hot, it’s humid and it’s definitely the hottest conditions that I’ve played cricket in,” Dercksen said yesterday.
“The series win is a big positive for us. We saw how we could play spin and our options against it. We also had a chance to try different combinations,” she added.
Probably the biggest objective of the series was to tighten up the side’s batting performances, specifically in the subcontinent.
The team needed Sune Luus to finally come right with bat in hand, and she did as she scored a half-century in the second match and finished unbeaten on 14 in the decider.
Top-order batter Anneke Bosch also needed to get runs under the belt and she did with a positive 46, though she ended up walking off the field, retired hurt due to the searing heat in Multan.
The coaches needed to give young Dercksen time in the middle to test the player’s ability to live up to her potential in a high-stakes game.
These are all decisions batting coach Baakier Abrahams would have had a lot of input in, and Dercksen praised the coach for the backing and the belief he shows in the batting group.
“(Abrahams) knows his players and his batters so well. He knows what to say to everyone in every moment. He’s given us so many options,” said Dercksen.
“We have an amazing depth at the moment in the batting line-up and I think it is an exciting time for us. I mean, today Chloe (Tryon) and Nadine (de Klerk) didn’t even face a ball and they are quality ball strikers,” she added.
The bowling and fielding departments still look shaky ahead of the World Cup. Many chances weren’t taken in the field and the bowlers leaked quite a lot of runs in the death overs, in particular.
Dercksen says the team is aware of the work they need to do in the bowling and fielding departments ahead of the World Cup.
“There’s some stuff to work on. The bowlers, maybe we’ll have a look at our death bowling,” she said.