Karachi (SBR): Zoofishan Ayyaz’s breezy 44 not out in a successful 110-run chase against South Africa on Wednesday evening in the fourth T20 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi helped Pakistan set up the series decider on Friday.
Pakistan had earlier won the second match by 47 runs, defending their 125-run total. South Africa won the first and third games by four wickets and 52 runs, respectively.
In pursuit of South Africa’s total, Pakistan slipped to a precarious 43-4 in 10.5 overs, requiring 67 off the last 55 balls. At this juncture, Zoofishan and skipper Fizza Fiaz joined forces and wrestled back to take control of the game with a flurry of boundaries and took Pakistan over the line with six wickets in hand.
Fizza contributed 28 not out off 27 balls striking four fours and upped the ante when the required rate had climbed up towards nine an over. She hit a hat-trick of fours in the 14th over against Shreeya Subbiah, which yielded 14 runs and got Pakistan back on the track.
No.4 batter Zoofishan, who finished the game with a six on the second ball of the last over, hit a total of five fours and one six having faced 29 balls for her 44 runs. Earlier, Pakistan’s opening duo put on 34 runs in eight overs before Ravail Farhan departed for 18 runs.
Komal Khan’s 15-run knock came to an end in the 10th over with South Africa sensing a potential victory. Respect Mabasa then struck twice in the 11th over to remove Areesha Ansari and Aqsa Habib bringing Zoofishan and Fizza to the middle.
Mabasa finished with three for 25 in her four overs, while skipper Mieke van Voorst picked up one for 10 in her two overs.
With the ball, Pakistan took 1.2 overs to draw the first blood as off-spinner Rozina Akram removed Chanel Venter. Diedre van Rensburg chipped in with 23 off 23 balls hitting five fours before falling to left-arm pacer Mah Noor.
South Africa’s top-scorer Shreeya Subbiah scored run-a-ball 30 inclusive of four fours. She became Rozina’s second victim in the 13th over – an over in which Pakistan eked out another wicket by running out previous game’s player of the match Mieke van Voorst for 14. Mah Noor took a spectacular catch to remove Shreeya.
From 68-2, South Africa lost six for 41 in last 48 balls as Pakistan bowlers kept a check on the run flow. No.5 batter Chris-Mari Bezuidenhout remained unbeaten on 23 off 23 with the help of two fours and ensured they got past the 100-run mark. Mahnoor Zeb and Rozina picked up two wickets each, while Mah Noor, Shahar Bano and Zoofishan dismissed one batter each.
The fifth and final match of the series will be played on Friday, 24 July at the same venue with the first ball expected to be bowled at 7pm PKT.
Scores in brief
South Africa 109-8, 20 overs (Shreeya Subbiah 30, Chris-Mari Bezuidenhout 23 not out, Diedre van Rensburg 23; Mahnoor Zeb 2-18, Rozina Akram 2-21)
Pakistan 113-4, 19.2 overs (Zoofishan Ayyaz 44 not out, Fizza Fiaz 28 not out; Respect Mabasa 3-25)
