Laura Wolvaardt delivered the perfect captain’s knock to steer South Africa to a six-wicket victory against Pakistan in the second T20I at Willowmoore Park on February 13.

This victory means the Proteas Women take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with one match left. Wolvaardt finished unbeaten on 40 from 29, with Naidine de Klerk smashing her first ball to the fence to secure victory with four balls to spare.

Chasing 101 in front of a packed and buzzing Willowmoore Park, the hosts started brilliantly up front despite facing some excellent spin bowling, in a game reduced to 14 overs per side due to rain and lightning.

They got off to a good start as openers Sune Luus and Tazmin Brits put on 30 for the first wicket, before Luus (13 off 14, including three boundaries) was trapped by left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal with the second ball of the fourth over.

Brits and Wolvaardt regained control of the innings with a 36-run partnership for the second wicket. But, comfortably on 66 and edging closer to their target, Brits (29 off 25) holed Iqbal to Aliya Riaz at long-on, before former captain Danè van Niekerk followed her to the shed after being trapped by Tuba Hassan.

However, Wolvaardt, as she always is, was a picture of calm and composure in the middle, attacking the right balls and defending well in her 29-run stand with Marizanne Kapp, before Humna Bilal had Kapp caught at mid-off by Riaz.

But De Klerk drove Bilal through the covers to help South Africa secure the series win.

Earlier after a lengthy delay due to inclement weather, Riaz scored an important 20 off 18, with the next highest score being Ayesha Zafar‘s 13 runs as Pakistan managed 100-9 in their 14 overs.

Despite three dropped catches, the hosts were always in control as their tourists struggled to build any meaningful partnerships, thanks to seamers Masabata Klaas and Ayabonga Khaka’s fine bowling to control the innings.

Kapp bowled Muneeba Ali in the third over to start the onslaught, before Klaas dismissed Gull Feroza and Eyman Fatima in the fourth over. First, the right-arm seamer had Feroza caught by Nonkululeko Mlaba at mid-on and then sent Fatima’s bails flying with a full length delivery for her second wicket of the match.

Khaka got in on the action with the wickets Natalia Pervaiz, caught by Kayla Reyneke, before bowling both Riaz and Bilal in the 13^th over to end her player-of-the-match performance with 3/10.

Zafar was run-out by Mlaba before skipper Fatima Sana holed Reyneke Luus at long-on, while Mlaba’s brilliant bowling was rewarded with the wicket of Hassan as Pakistan was restricted to 100-9.

Both teams meet again in the last match at the same venue on Monday (February 16). The first ball is at 18:00.