South Africa beat Pakistan to book knock-out berth

A fine all-round performance from Marizanne Kapp helped South Africa crush Pakistan by 126 runs in their last league match and qualify for the Super Six stage of the ICC Women's World Cup in Cuttack on Tuesday.

South Africa rode on Marizanne's unbeaten 150-ball 102 to post 207 for five in their alloted 50 overs after electing to bat and then shot out Pakistan for a paltry 81 in 29.4 overs to finish the league with two points from three games.

Pakistan remained winless in the tournament after having lost their other two Group 'B' games to Australia and New Zealand.

Marizanne also contributed with the ball, picking up three key Pakistani wickets for 18 runs to help the Proteas register their first win in the ongoing World Cup.

Marizanne, who scored her maiden hundred, was involved in a record century-plus stand for the unconquered sixth wicket partnership with Dane Van Niekerk (77-ball 55 not out) after the South Africans were left tottering at 79 for five in 23.5 overs.

Both joined forces at a time when Pakistan's new-ball combination of Asmavia Iqbal and Qanita Jali had reduced the Proteas to 55 for four inside 17 overs.

Just as South Africa began to build a partnership, Susan Benade was run out by Javeria Khan.

It was then left to Marizanne and Niekerk to resurrect the innings and provide some semblance of respectability to the score.

Both mixed caution with aggression and added 128 runs for the sixth wicket, the highest partnership for South Africa in the World Cup and the second highest sixth-wicket partnership of all time.

Pakistan started off their run-chase on a shaky note and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Their ploy to promote Jalil up the batting order and bringing skipper Sana Mir lower down the order did not pay off as they folded up for another low score in the tournament.

All the five South African bowlers found themselves among wickets with Marizanne, bowling medium pace, emerging as the most successful bowler.

Only four Pakistani batswomen managed the double-digit figures with the highest score of 15 by Sidra Ameen.

Pakistan will now play the seventh-eighth play-off match on Thursday at Barabati Stadium against the loser of the ongoing match between India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan captain Sana Mir was once against disappointed with the side's batting performance.

"If I had to take any positives from this event it would be our bowling because we really tested Australia and the other teams in the group but when it came to our batting it just was not up to scratch," she said.

"As a side we need to go back now and review how we are doing things as a team and reflect on how we move forward from here. Credit has to go to South Africa, they have played some really good cricket while they have been here and the way Kapp played her innings was great."

Brief Scores:

South Africa: 207 for 5 wickets in 50 overs (Marizanne Kapp 102 not out, Dane van Niekerk 55 not out; Qanita Jalil 2/30).

Pakistan: 81 all out in 29.4 overs (Sidra Ameen 15; Marizanne Kapp 3/18).