Brits blitz wins Proteas the series, but concerns over catching ahead of World Cup

Perhaps the most salient words spoken by Tazmin Brits after her third consecutive ODI century on Friday were: “Hopefully I do it in the World Cup.” 

Brits has been in outstanding form this year and her confidence will be sky high after she scored 171 against Pakistan in the second ODI of the series in Lahore. South Africa won the rain-interrupted match by 25 runs (Duckworth Lewis Stern method) to wrap up the series ahead of the final match on Monday.

Brits’ opening partner Laura Wolvaardt, made her first hundred of 2025, hitting 10 fours in an innings in which she faced 129 balls. Brits was more aggressive. Her innings included 20 fours and four sixes as she scored at a strike rate of 121.27.

“The rain interruption really helped me to free up, and when we came back we only had a few overs left and I thought I could really go for it,” she said.

Britz has made four centuries this year and Friday she became only the second batter in women’s ODIs, to score three consecutive hundreds.  

That late blitz, in which South Africa scored 54 runs in the last five overs of the innings, lifted their total to 292/3 in 46 overs. 

Though Pakistan matched the required run rate for most of their innings, thanks to Sidra Amin’s 122 — her second consecutive century — once she was bowled by Chloe Tryon, the rest of the Pakistan batting order folded. 

They lost their last seven wickets for 40 runs in 44 balls, to be bowled out for 287.

It was a messy effort in the field from the Proteas with catches being missed and balls being miss-fielded. “Our fielding needs to be improved, especially catching. We need to be calmer and own our space a bit better so that we take those catches,” said Brits.

After Monday’s ODI, the Proteas head to Colombo where they play two warm-up games, including another against Pakistan. 

Of the 16 players in the World Cup squad, only Anneke Bosch is yet to play a match in Pakistan. 

South Africa play their first match in the tournament on October 3, against England in Guwahati.