Annerie Dercksen counterattacked after an early wicket. Photograph: ICC
Captain Fatima Sana’s heroic all-round act involving 55 not out with the bat and 3-16 with the ball went in useless as South Africa edged previous Pakistan by a mere two wickets chasing the 127-run goal with 19 balls to spare in Match 11 of the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2026 right here on the Edgbaston Cricket Floor in Birmingham on Wednesday night.
Pakistan will now tackle Bangladesh on the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton on Saturday, 20 June in a day recreation with the primary ball set to be bowled at 2.30pm native time and 6.30m Pakistan time.
Skipper Fatima saved South Africa on the leash throughout each the innings as she united with Tuba Hassan for a file ninth-wicket 71-run stand t0 lead Pakistan to a aggressive complete. Later she eliminated Sune Luus, Nadine de Klerk and Sinalo Jafta to develop into first captain to attain a fifty and take three wickets in the identical match throughout all 10 ICC Girls’s T20 World Cups.
Chasing 127, South Africa moved to 76 for 2 as Annerie Dercksen struck 52 off 35 balls together with seven fours and two sixes. Fatima drew the primary blood within the second over, whereas Tuba snapped Laura Wolvaardt within the seventh over.
With Marizanne Kapp (10) and Dercksen placing on a 23-run stand and threatened to take the sport away, Nashra obtained the previous stumped, whereas Tuba bowled the set-batter Dercksen by the legs.
From there, Pakistan saved chipping away to tug the competition nearer as Sadia Iqbal struck twice within the center overs. She removed Chloe Tryon caught behind in thirteenth over and Kayla Reyneke caught by Fatima in fifteenth over to scale back South Africa to 107 for six.
With South Africa requiring two to win, Fatima bowled Jafta with the entire on 125 for seven earlier than getting Nadine de Klerk (37, 28b, 6x4s) caught behind.
Earlier, Pakistan have been decreased to 14 for 4 contained in the fourth over after Marizanne Kapp eliminated each opening batters within the first over placing thrice within the powerplay.
Three run-outs compounded the harm as Pakistan slipped to 50 for eight inside 11 overs. From there, Fatima and Tuba (23, 27b, 2x4s) added 71 for the ninth wicket — the best ninth-wicket partnership in ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup historical past and the second highest in Girls’s T20I’s.
Fatima’s 55 not out off 38 balls comprising six fours additionally concerned two sixes, which she hit on consecutive balls within the final over off de Klerk to convey up her third WT20I fifty off 35 balls. She registered the best rating by a participant batting at no.8 or decrease in ICC Girls’s T20 World Cups.
