South Africa women’s cricket team sealed the three-match ODI series after defeating Pakistan women by 25 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the second encounter at Lahore, 24NewsHD TV reported on Friday.
Chasing a daunting 313-run target in a rain-affected contest, Pakistan fought valiantly but were bowled out for 287, falling just short of the revised total.
Opener Sidra Ameen once again stood tall for Pakistan with a magnificent 122, her second consecutive century of the series, but her effort went in vain as wickets at regular intervals halted the team’s momentum.
Natalia Pervaiz contributed a solid 73, while Omaima Sohail chipped in with 43. Aliya Riaz added 18, and Rameen Shamim managed 12, but none could provide the finishing touch Pakistan desperately needed.
Earlier, the match was curtailed to 46 overs a side due to rain interruptions, with South Africa’s batting and bowling units rising to the occasion.
Opening batter Tazmin Brits continued her stunning form, hammering an unbeaten 171 runs in a commanding display that left the Pakistan bowlers struggling for answers.
She was well supported by skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who brought up a fluent century of her own.
Together, the pair put on a record-shaping 260-run opening stand — the third-highest partnership for the first wicket in the history of women’s ODIs.
Diana Baig was the only Pakistan bowler to get wickets, ending up with figures of 2-45 off her five overs.
With the win, South Africa claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, leaving Pakistan to play only for pride in the third and final ODI scheduled for September 22.
On Wednesday, South Africa outclassed the hosts with a clinical performance, chasing down a target of 256 runs to secure victory by eight wickets in the opening match on Tuesday.