Pakistan Women Under-19s produced a composed chase under pressure to defeat South Africa Women Under-19s by six wickets with four balls to spare in the fourth Youth T20 at the National Stadium, Karachi, levelling the five-match series at 2-2. After opting to bat first, South Africa Women Under-19s looked to build a competitive platform through several useful partnerships, but Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack kept striking at regular intervals to restrict the visitors. Chasing 110, Pakistan suffered a few setbacks but found match-winning contributions from Zoofishan Ayyaz and captain Fizza Fiaz, whose unbeaten stand ensured the hosts crossed the finish line comfortably in the 20-over contest.
South Africa Women Under-19s endured an early setback when Chanel Venter was dismissed for just 1 after adding only a single run with Shreeya Subbiah. Ravail Farhan completed the catch while Rozina Akram claimed the breakthrough, leaving the visitors at 1/1 in 1.2 overs. From there, Shreeya Subbiah and D van Rensburg counterattacked positively, stitching together an important 34-run partnership for the second wicket. Both batters maintained an attacking intent, with Subbiah striking four boundaries in her fluent 30 off 30 balls, while van Rensburg matched her scoring rate with 23 from 23 deliveries. Their stand helped South Africa recover to 35/2, before Ravail Farhan once again made her presence felt in the field by catching van Rensburg off Mah Noor in the seventh over.
Subbiah continued to anchor the innings and shared another useful 33-run partnership with captain Mieke van Voorst. The skipper contributed 14 from 17 balls, rotating the strike effectively while Subbiah continued finding the boundaries. However, Pakistan’s fielding remained sharp as Areesha Ansari effected a run-out to remove van Voorst at 68/3. Just eight balls later, Subbiah’s impressive knock ended when she was caught by Mah Noor off Rozina Akram for 30, reducing South Africa to 70/4. Chris-Mari Bezuidenhout then attempted to rebuild alongside Rethabile Nthoba, and the pair added 13 runs before Mahnoor Zeb trapped Nthoba for 7.
The innings never gained sustained momentum as wickets continued to tumble. Miya Lalor managed 4, while Jae-Leigh Filander added 2, and Ashleigh van Wyk was dismissed for a duck in the final over. Chris-Mari Bezuidenhout remained unbeaten on a valuable 23 off 23 balls, guiding the tail through the closing overs alongside Reabetswe Dithupe, who finished unbeaten on 2. South Africa Women Under-19s eventually posted 109/8 in their 20 overs, with three extras contributing to the total.
Pakistan’s bowling effort was built on discipline rather than spectacular bursts. Rozina Akram emerged as the standout performer, returning figures of 2/21 from four overs, dismissing both Shreeya Subbiah and Chanel Venter at crucial moments. Mah Noor chipped in with 1/24 in three overs, while Mahnoor Zeb delivered an economical spell of 1/18 from four overs, breaking an important middle-order partnership. Maham Nazakat was outstanding in controlling the run flow, conceding only 15 runs in her four overs. Shahar Bano also bowled three tidy overs for 24 runs, while Zoofishan Ayyaz was the most economical, giving away just 6 runs in her two overs.
Needing 110 for victory, Pakistan Women Under-19s began cautiously before losing Komal Khan for 15 off 28 balls at 34/1. Komal and Ravail Farhan had laid a steady 34-run opening partnership, ensuring the chase got off to a measured start. Ravail Farhan looked comfortable for her 18 off 25 balls, but South Africa hit back through sharp fielding and disciplined bowling. Aqsa Habib managed only 2, while Areesha Ansari was dismissed for a first-ball duck, leaving Pakistan at 43/4 in 10.5 overs. At that stage, the contest appeared evenly poised, with South Africa sensing an opportunity to defend their modest target.
However, Zoofishan Ayyaz produced the innings of the match under pressure. Playing positively from the outset, she struck 44 not out off just 29 balls, including five fours and a six, shifting the momentum firmly towards Pakistan. She found excellent support from captain Fizza Fiaz, who remained unbeaten on 28 from 27 deliveries, striking four boundaries while calmly rotating the strike. The unbeaten 70-run fifth-wicket partnership between Ayyaz and Fiaz completely changed the complexion of the chase, taking Pakistan from a vulnerable 43/4 to 113/4 in 19.2 overs, sealing victory with four balls remaining.
South Africa’s bowlers fought hard despite the defeat. Respect Mabasa was the pick of the attack with 3/25 from four overs, dismissing Ravail Farhan, Aqsa Habib and Areesha Ansari to put Pakistan under pressure. Mieke van Voorst removed Komal Khan and finished with 1/10 from two overs, while Reabetswe Dithupe delivered an economical spell of 1/15 in four overs. Miya Lalor bowled 3.2 overs for 20 runs, Ashleigh van Wyk conceded 19 from four overs, Shreeya Subbiah gave away 14 runs in one over, and D van Rensburg bowled one over for 10 runs. Despite those efforts, the composed finishing partnership between Zoofishan Ayyaz and Fizza Fiaz proved decisive as Pakistan Women Under-19s secured a memorable six-wicket victory and levelled the South Africa Women Under-19s tour of Pakistan T20I series at 2-2, setting up a winner-takes-all final encounter.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.