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October 10, 2024
South Africa has dropped to No. 3 in the standings after a loss to England and West Indies’ recent win. They now face a quick turnaround as they take on a winless Scotland, who have lost to Bangladesh and West Indies. Scotland will hope to spring a surprise, while South Africa, led by Laura Wolvaardt, will be aiming for a big win to boost their Net Run Rate (NRR).
South Africa’s decision to promote Anneke Bosch to No. 3 didn’t pay off, as she struggled to score 18 off 26 balls, slowing down their middle overs. Key batters Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, and Marizanne Kapp will need to step up, and their spinners are expected to perform well in spin-friendly conditions. Scotland, meanwhile, fell short against Bangladesh, chasing 120, and managed just 99 against West Indies. They will rely on key batters Sarah Bryce and captain Kathryn Bryce to deliver a strong start as they seek to improve their top-order performance.
When: Match 11 – Wednesday, October 9, 2:00 PM local time
Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
What to expect: Dubai has been favorable for teams chasing, with three out of four matches won by the side batting second. The only exception was India’s win over Pakistan, which took 18.5 overs to chase a modest target of 106. South Africa, familiar with the conditions after their opening match against West Indies, prefer Dubai over Sharjah, as noted by their captain. With a focus on improving their Net Run Rate, South Africa may opt to chase again.
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South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt’s team might make a slight adjustment in the batting order, promoting Marizanne Kapp ahead of Anneke Bosch for more firepower. However, the playing XI is likely to remain the same.
Probable XI: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka.
Scotland: Kathryn Bryce’s team has kept the same lineup for the last two matches and may stick with the same combination for this game as well.
Probable XI: Saskia Horley, Sarah Bryce (wk), Kathryn Bryce (c), Ailsa Lister, Priyanaz Chatterji, Darcey Carter, Lorna Jack, Katherine Fraser, Abtaha Maqsood, Rachel Slater, Olivia Bell.
What they said:
“Dubai played a bit better, I feel. This [Sharjah pitch] felt a bit two-paced and it felt like they bowled real straight, set straight fields and it was just hard to score and hard to get it away. The outfield here was also very, very slow so you don’t really get value for runs. I feel like it was a bit better at Dubai getting value for your shots” – Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa captain.
“We are here to compete; we are here to play cricket and competitive cricket but we’re also here to learn. A lot of our girls have come up against world-class players and yeah, it’s an exciting prospect to be here and even more exciting if we can take some learnings away from it and put it into our own games” – Lorna Jack-Brown.
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Gus Atkinson has set up five fielders on the leg side, two of them close catchers: a short leg and a leg gully. It’s the first over after drinks on the second day in Multan, with the intense sun making things difficult for the visitors, much like the previous day. England’s frequent field adjustments aim to unsettle the batters, often resulting in unusual setups that have been effective. However, right now, the approach seems more frustrating than strategic.
Naseem Shah, the nightwatchman, is at the crease after being promoted to No. 6 late on Day 1, following Babar Azam’s dismissal under fading light. Shah easily deflects a short-pitched delivery near his feet, casually dismantling England’s plan. The expectation of bowlers shielding batters from such situations seems misplaced—after all, batters train for these challenges, not to be protected from them.
But Naseem Shah is handling the challenge with precision, showing off skills honed as a child playing one-bounce cricket with his younger brothers in the cramped rooms of his home. His defensive technique, proven during long stays at the crease in Sri Lanka in 2022 and 2023, where he batted for 131 and 175 minutes while Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel piled on runs, has become a key asset.
Following Pakistan’s painful whitewash at home against England in December 2022, Shah had saved the team from further embarrassment by extending a crucial last-wicket stand with Abrar Ahmed until the end of the Test. Now, on this Monday, Pakistan is once again relying on Shah to protect Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha—two of their most consistent performers—from England’s aggressive pace attack, which is intent on inflicting as much damage as possible.
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Naseem Shah stood firm, defending ball after ball. He stretched his front leg forward to get in line with the deliveries or awkwardly ducked under the short ones. When Chris Woakes targeted his leading edge, Shah displayed sharp awareness of his off-stump, playing only those balls that threatened it. Each solid defense was followed by the calm call of “no run.” Even when Ben Duckett, fielding at short leg, tried to unsettle him with a few words, Shah responded in conversation, undeterred.
England’s short-ball tactics couldn’t shake him. He took blows to the helmet and hand, but never flinched, giving the bowlers nothing to exploit. Then, Shah struck back. Moments after being hit on the head, he confidently charged down the pitch and launched Shoaib Bashir for a massive six over long on. He later took on Jack Leach, England’s most seasoned spinner, smashing him for two huge sixes down the ground, the same bowler whom Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood had cautiously played during their 253-run stand.
With Naseem Shah frustrating England and commanding their attention, Saud Shakeel capitalized by crafting a crucial half-century, a welcome relief after his earlier scores of 0, 16, and 2 against Bangladesh. Shakeel eventually fell to Brydon Carse, caught down the leg side, but by then, Shah had achieved his career-best score in international cricket with 33 runs.
Initially sent in to protect Pakistan from losing more wickets on Day 1, Shah exceeded expectations during his 81-ball vigil. He blunted the threat of the new Kookaburra, wore down England’s premier pacers, and made them toil in the punishing heat. By the time he departed, Pakistan had reached 388 just before lunch, setting up a solid platform. Now, it’s up to the lower-middle order to build on the foundation Shah provided on Day 2.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 397/6 (Shan Masood 151, Abdullah Shafique 102; Jack Leach 2-87) vs England.
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