Suné Luus, Sinalo Jafta shine as Proteas Women beat Pakistan in rain-hit ODI opener

The Proteas Women beat Pakistan by  37 runs in the rain-affected first One Day International of the three-match series  at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Middle-order batter Suné Luus laid the platform for the victory with an unbeaten 93 as SA set Pakistan a formidable target of 261, and took two crucial wickets.

Wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta marked her 50th ODI with a maiden half-century in the match reduced to 41 overs per side under the DLS method.

Pakistan won the toss and put the South Africans in to bat and their bowlers put the Proteas opening pair under early pressure, capturing the wicket of Tazmin Brits for 10. In-form Proteas Women's skipper Laura Wolvaardt raced to 25 off 24 balls with a combination of cuts and pulls as SA reached 42/1 at the end of the eight overs of the PowerPlay.

She kept scoring at better than a run a ball despite the further departure of left-hander Lara Goodall for 13.

When Wolvaardt was caught for 43 (6x4) off her familiar tormentor Nashra Sandhu in the 17th over, the Proteas had slipped to 84/3.

The rebuilding job fell to Luus and Annerie Dercksen. Batting at No 4, Luus shifted gears after a watchful start, moving to 25 off 23 balls (3x4) as South Africa brought up 102/3 at the 20-over mark. Their partnership gathered momentum, swelling to 53 from 47 deliveries by the 25th over.

Dercksen grew in assurance, launching the first six of the innings later in that over. Luus, meanwhile, reached her 19th ODI half-century in the 28th over from 46 balls, setting the platform for a strong finish.

Dercksen contributed a brisk 31 off 35 balls as the run rate hovered around 5.5 an over, before she was bowled without adding to her score. Big hitters Chloe Tryon came and went in quick succession, leaving the Proteas Women on 170/6 in the 32nd over.

Jafta then seized the moment in her milestone 50th ODI, striking a superb unbeaten 57 off 34 balls (8x4) – a career-best knock. She and Luus turned the innings on its head, bringing up a 50-run stand from just 34 deliveries in the 38th over.

Luus surged into the 90s with a towering six and finished unbeaten on 93 from 76 balls (8x4, 1x6). Their unbroken 89-run partnership off the final 10 overs propelled South Africa to an imposing 260/6 at 6.34 runs per over.

Tall pace bowler Ayanda Hlubi got SA off to perfect start, bowling Sadaf Shamas for a duck in Pakistan's first over. Nadine de Klerk had Muneeba Ali caught behind by Jafta, to leave the visitors in deep trouble at 5/2. A dropped catch and missed runout opportunity spared them further blushes in the next over.

The visitors recovered to reach 49/2 at the end of the PowerPlay, and 100/2 in the 18th over with Sidra Amin and Ayesha Zafar dictating the run chase. Their partnership was worth 100 runs off 100 balls, with Amin scoring a run-a-ball fifty. Spinner Nkululeko Mlaba put the brakes on the run rate, but the erratic Tryon was giving skipper Volvaardt a headache.

The skipper threw the ball to Luus, and the move reaped instant rewards, with Hlubi taking a great diving catch to dismiss Amin for 68, off the spin of the all-rounder. She also accounted for skipper Fatima Sana.

Zafar stood firm, but when she was caught in the deep for 81 in the 33rd over, off the bowling of Nadine de Klerk, Pakistan were tottering on 178/6 and any hopes of an unlikely win effectively ended. They eventually limped to 223 all out, as the Proteas Women won by 37 runs.

The second ODI of the series is at SuperSport in Centurion on Wednesday.