All-round van Niekerk secures thriller

Dane van Niekerk took 3 for 12 to limit Pakistan Women to a manageable 106 and then knocked 67 off the target herself to lead South Africa Women towards victory. It was tense though. With 11 needed from four balls, captain Mignon du Preez struck a four and a six to seal the deal.

South Africa began their chase steadily and were 55 for 0 at the halfway mark. Trisha Chetty's run-out the 11th helped Pakistan were able to string some quiet overs together. But van Niekerk's threat remained as she reached her third T20 fifty in the 14 over.

It came down to 20 off the final two overs. Van Niekerk and and Lizelle Lee, who had put on 37 for the second wicket, fell in the space of four balls to keep Pakistan's hopes alive. Until du Preez's unbeaten five-ball 13.

Pakistan did well to push the chase to the penultimate ball, considering their top-order collapse to start the day. Sidra Ameen was lbw to Shabnim Ismail off the fourth ball of the match, Moseline Daniels struck four balls later to bowl Iram Javed. Van Niekerk's three blows then left Pakistan at 31 for 5 in the ninth over. Bismah Maroof, with 34 off 42 and Asmavia Iqbal, with 31 off 28, resisted with a 50-run partnership to lend their bowlers with some cushion. However, having won the previous two T20s, Pakistan took the series 2-1