The Pakistan Women’s tour of South Africa kicked off with a nail-biter at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom. South Africa Women barely squeaked by, beating Pakistan Women by five wickets on the very last ball. Played on February 10, 2026, the first T20I was super intense, with tons of runs and a crazy finish that set the stage for a tough series.

Pakistan Women put up a great score of 180 for 9, thanks to an awesome showing from their captain, Fatima Sana. South Africa Women stayed calm and used their batting lineup to chase down the score, ending up at 185 for 5 right at the end of their 20 overs.

Pakistan Women Recover to Post Solid Score

Pakistan Women won toss, chose to bat first. Things seemed good at first, but then wickets started falling quickly. Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, and Ayesha Zafar were out early, leaving Pakistan struggling at 25 for 3 in the first four overs.

Even with the bad start, Pakistan got back on track for a bit with Natalia Pervaiz and Umm-e-Hani adding some runs. But the game really changed when Fatima Sana took over.

Fatima Sana Leads from the Front

Fatima Sana had an amazing game, scoring a fantastic 90 off just 41 balls. She smashed nine fours and seven sixes, hitting the ball at a rate of 219.51. Her skillful hits helped Pakistan Women go from 64 for 6 to a score that was hard to beat.

Her teamwork with Nashra Sandhu and Humna Bilal at the end helped add important runs. Pakistan scored 58 runs in the last few overs, making sure they got over 180, a score that seemed like it would win the match at one point.

South Africa’s Bowling: Some Good, Some Costly

South Africa Women’s bowling had good and bad moments. Ayanda Hlubi got three wickets early on but gave away runs. Nonkululeko Mlaba also took two wickets but was hit hard in the middle overs.

Kayla Reyneke stood out, bowling really well and only allowing 13 runs in four overs while taking two wickets. The way she changed her speed and made the ball move was key, especially against Pakistan’s lower order. She stopped them from scoring over 190.

South Africa Women’s Chase: Experience Matters

South Africa started their batting with Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus, who played well together. After Brits was out for 16, Luus and captain Laura Wolvaardt took control, scoring well and putting South Africa in a good spot to win.

Wolvaardt played like a true captain, scoring 61 from 38 balls with eight fours and a six. She stayed calm and made sure they could still win even when wickets were falling around her.

Middle-Order Pressure, Exciting End

Dane van Niekerk and Lara Goodall added some runs but then got out quickly, making the game close again. Pakistan Women got a bit of hope when Nashra Sandhu bowled well, taking two important wickets and slowing down the scoring in the middle overs.

With 38 runs needed in the last three overs, the match was super tense. When Wolvaardt was out at 133, Pakistan had a better chance, but South Africa’s strong batting lineup helped them win.

Kayla Reyneke Gets the Job Done Under Pressure

Kayla Reyneke had a great all-around game, ending with 29 runs not out off 16 balls. She hit the ball well and found boundaries when it mattered, helping South Africa stay ahead.

She scored the winning runs on the last ball, winning by five wickets. Reyneke was named Player of the Match for her great performance with both the bat and ball.

Important Stats

Pakistan Women hit seven sixes and twenty fours, scoring 122 runs from boundaries. South Africa Women hit four sixes and twenty-one fours, mostly scoring along the ground.

Pakistan scored 9.00 runs per over, while South Africa scored a bit more at 9.25. South Africa had more dot balls, showing they kept the score moving better. Extras also mattered, with South Africa giving away nine and Pakistan eleven.

Achievements

Fatima Sana’s 90 was one of the highest scores by a Pakistan Women batter against South Africa in T20Is. Laura Wolvaardt’s fifty showed how consistent she is as a top batter in women’s cricket. Kayla Reyneke’s overall game showed that South Africa has good depth in their lineup, and she is going to be important this series.

The match was one of the closest between the two teams, proving how competitive women’s international cricket has become.

Controversies and Points to Talk About

The match didn’t have any big problems, but some DRS reviews added tension. People talked about the bowling at the end, where Pakistan gave away boundaries even though they had put pressure on earlier.

Another point was that Pakistan relied on one big batting performance, while South Africa had many players contribute.

Different Ways To Play

This T20I showed two ways to play. Pakistan Women showed how a great individual could lift a team after a bad start. South Africa Women showed how important it is to have batting depth and good teamwork when chasing a high score. Both ways shaped the game without changing the series itself.

South Africa Women’s win on the last ball in Potchefstroom made for an exciting start to the tour. The match had great individual performances, changing momentum, and a finish that shows how the intensity and quality of women’s T20 cricket is growing, making this one of the best games of the 2025–26 season.