Proteas seal series after double Benoni wins against Pakistan

Proteas women head coach Hilton Moreeng expressed his delight at how all the departments clicked at the right time following his side’s comfortable nine-wicket victory in the fifth Women’s T20 International against Pakistan in Benoni on May 23.

South Africa won the series 3-2.

Lizelle Lee struck her third half-century in five matches to help the hosts chase down Pakistan’s 125/3.

Lee combined with Nadine de Klerk for a pivotal 100-run, second-wicket partnership to ease South Africa to 127/1 and a series-win with 29 balls to spare.

Throughout the campaign, Moreeng asked for more consistency from his squad in all three disciplines and in the series-decider at Willowmoore Park – he got his wish.

He was pleased to see how the players got through tough moments in the match, considering the added pressure in the final two games.

“It has been frustrating because if the batting has been firing, the bowling and fielding departments have been letting us down,” he said.

“So to see everything come together today, we’ve left our perfect game for the last game of the series, which is very special.

“It shows the character and the quality we have in these young women.

“It has been very entertaining for those watching from the side. A couple of close games, but you have to experience those kinds of nerves as a player to know what happens going forward.

“Some of them are going to take a lot of lessons from this and hopefully grow as cricketers,” he added.

Continuing her momentum from the fourth T20, also played at Willowmoore Park, which the Proteas won to level the series two-all, Lee recorded a match-winning 75 off 48 deliveries (11 fours, two sixes) alongside promising de Klerk, who scored a career-best 31-ball 37.

Moreeng praised the pair’s contribution, highlighting the roles each had played in the middle.

One of the other positives of the T20 series and the entire inbound tour against Pakistan has been the captaincy of Suné Luus, who is standing in for injured Dané van Niekerk.

Moreeng credited the all-rounder’s leadership qualities and the ability to read the game, while also commending his experienced dressing room’s support of Luus throughout the tour.

In assessing the series and the tour, Moreeng believes it was a beneficial and successful one, citing the Proteas’ performances against an emerging Pakistan side.

He stated his side were not too far from being at their best and take plenty of positives as they strive to improve.

Lee was awarded the Player of the Match in the fifth T20I, her third in the series.

Pakistan all-rounder Nida Dar claimed the Player of the Series accolade for her 239 runs and four wickets.

All highlights from the five-match series between South Africa and Pakistan can be located on Cricket South Africa’s YouTube channel.

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