Pakistan levelled the three-match T20 International series against the Proteas Women in Multan Wednesday night. Pakistan beat South Africa by 13 runs to level matters with one match still to be played in the series, which is a warm-up for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Batting first, Pakistan scored 181/4 in their allotted 20 overs with Muneeba Ali scoring 45, while the captain Fatima Sana was unbeaten with 39.

The seamer Tumi Sekhukhune was once against South Africa’s star with the ball with 2/30 in her three overs, while Suné Luus and Annerie Dercksen each bagged one scalp.

South Africa fell short despite a valiant and unbeaten 53 by Luus and 36 by the captain Laura Wolvaardt. Luus hit six fours and one six in their innings, which lasted 29 deliveries. Chloe Tryon was once again destructive with the batter in the middle order as she smashed five fours for her unbeaten 30 off 16 balls.

Nashra Sandhu was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers with 2/20 in their four overs, while Sadia Iqbal had 2/27.

Luus said they will take the positives from the defeat, but on the night the hosts were just the better team.

“It was a high-scoring game of cricket, which is exciting,” said Luus.

Chloe Tryon. Photo: Cricinfo

“It was a preview to the World Cup and I think the pitches are going to be pretty similar in the UAE.

“We left it to a little too much there at the end for the last batters, but there is always going to be something, you know, that went wrong here or there, as always you're going to say there should have been a run here or there, or that wide, that missed field or whatever.

“So, it’s cricket! But I think the girls still did well to get to that score. I take my hat off to Pakistan.”

The third and final T20 International will be played on Friday in Multan.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg