Marizanne Kapp starred with both bat and ball as South Africa sealed a dominant 150-run (DLS) victory over Pakistan in a rain-affected Women’s World Cup clash in Colombo. The 35-year-old all-rounder remained unbeaten on 68 off 43 balls and earlier claimed 3 for 20, dismantling Pakistan’s fragile top order and securing their fifth consecutive win in the tournament.
Sent in to bat on a pitch softened by rain, South Africa posted a mammoth 312 for 9 in 40 overs, with captain Laura Wolvaardt top-scoring with 90. Wolvaardt’s 118-run second-wicket stand with Sune Luus laid the foundation before Kapp and Nadine de Klerk accelerated in the final overs, hitting 72 runs off the last five overs. South Africa smashed 11 sixes in total, a record for a single innings in any Women’s World Cup, with Kapp and de Klerk accounting for seven of them.
For Pakistan, chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 306, the game was effectively over before the midway point. Kapp’s early burst reduced them to 35 for 4 in 10 overs, claiming the wickets of Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, and Aliya Riaz. When play resumed after rain, Pakistan managed only 83 for 7 in 20 overs, with Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu unable to contain the South African spinners.
Wolvaardt and Luus had earlier blunted Pakistan’s attack, with Luus reaching her 17th ODI fifty off 42 balls, and Wolvaardt following closely with a half-century of her own before being stumped off Sandhu in a dramatic double-wicket over. Kapp then combined with de Klerk to inflict further damage, finishing the innings in style.
The win ensured South Africa topped the group table with one game remaining against Australia in Indore, while Pakistan became the second team to be knocked out of the tournament after Bangladesh. The result also showcased South Africa’s remarkable turnaround after their 69-run defeat to England in Guwahati three weeks ago, proving their title credentials on a challenging Colombo pitch.
