Dercksen and Kapp set up scrappy Proteas win against Pakistan

South Africa survived a scrappy match, claiming a two-wicket win against Pakistan that put their T20 World Cup campaign back on track on Wednesday night.

In an ugly mistake-laden clash, the Proteas reached a modest target of 127 – which appropriately ended with a leg-side wide – thanks to a first World Cup half-century from Annerie Dercksen and another gritty innings from Nadine de Klerk, who was dropped twice, but scored a crucial 37.

South Africa’s short-comings against spin were once more glaringly apparent and will be a huge concern ahead of their next match against India on Sunday. Had Pakistan batted better, an extra 20 runs, could have proved fatal for the Proteas.

With both and ball, the South Africans started well, but then lapses in concentration and poor execution turned positions of dominance into situations of desperation.

Dercksen, again batting at no.3, did a better job than she did against Australia and grabbed the initiative for her side with some punishing blows in the power play. She scored 21 runs in the fifth over, muscling a pair of fours and six, and also producing one classic backfoot drive that sped to the cover boundary.

On an Edgbaston pitch that assisted the spinners, Pakistan kept chipping away, with Laura Wolvaardt, playing in her 100th T20 International, failing for once when she top edged a sweep to short fine leg after scoring eight.

When Dercksen, who made 52 and Marizanne Kapp were dismissed within five balls of each other, Pakistan sensed an upset. And had their captain Fatima Sana held onto a catch offered by De Klerk when she had five, the result may have gone their way.

De Klerk struck six fours and was dropped again when she had 31, as SA reached their target with 19 balls to spare.

Pakistan’s innings was one of two halves; the first dominated by the Proteas and Kapp in particular who claimed three wickets in Pakistan’s power play.

It gave SA control, but Sana was magnificent, showing great courage and skill to dig her team out of an arduous position.

Kapp struck twice in the first over after Pakistan had chosen to bat first on a dry surface, which they felt would benefit their four spinners in the second innings. It was a similar plan to that adopted by Australia in the first match, but unlike the Australians, the Pakistanis were sloppy until Sana and Tuba Hasan’s late partnership.

South Africa picked up five wickets in the power play, with Pakistan adding to their woes with three of their batters run out.

Hasan became the fourth but only after she and her captain had profoundly changed the flow of the match. At 50/8, it seemed the small group of spectators at Edgbaston would have been able to get home in time for the kick off of England’s football World Cup campaign.

Sana and Hasan however added 71 runs for the ninth wicket – a new record partnership for that wicket between tier one nations – that re-energised their side, while it also knocked SA off kilter.

The smiles and energy which were so prevalent in the first 10 overs disappeared, and the bowlers seemed perplexed that the last few wickets didn’t simply arrive.

A number of slower balls were attempted that were easily dispatched by the Pakistan pair and although the fielding was better than against Australia, Shabnim Ismail missed Hasan when she had four, an error that would prove costly.

Sana, who’s made a habit of annoying the Proteas in recent years deserves credit. She manipulated the strike superbly and kept her partner calm early, before both were able to pounce on some lax bowling from the South Africans.

Sana scored 19 runs off the final over by De Klerk, reaching her second T20 half century and finishing with 55 not out, scored off 38 balls with half a dozen fours accompanied by two sixes.

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