Pakistan put up an incredible fight in the second ODI of the ongoing series against South Africa, falling just short of a world-record chase.
Pakistan-South Africa ODI sees over 700 runs scored
After winning the first ODI, South Africa batted first in the second match as well. The opening duo of Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits added 55 runs for the first wicket before the skipper fell, but Brits maintained her scoring rate, completing a fourth ODI fifty off 45 deliveries with a boundary.
Sune Luus and Annerie Dercksen took over after Brits was dismissed for a well-made 77. The duo added 102 runs for the fourth wicket, with Luus departing for 57. Dercksen upped the ante after getting to her half-century off 53 deliveries, scoring her next 40 runs off just 15 balls, to finish with 90 off 68, including six fours and four sixes.
Chloe Tryon (37 off 23) and Nadine de Klerk (49 off 26) provided the final flourish to take the side to a massive 361-8 in 50 overs, leaving Pakistan with a world-record target to chase.
2nd ODI, South Africa Women vs Pakistan Women
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- Ball by ball Over
Pakistan’s innings didn’t get off to the best start, with Muneeba Ali falling to Dercksen in the second over. Sidra Amin soon followed her, becoming the South Africa all-rounder’s second wicket of the match. Sadaf Shamas and Ayesha Zafar’s 97-run stand for the third wicket brought Pakistan back into the game, with both batters scoring respective fifties.
Zafar added another 76 runs with Natalia Parvez, which came off 60 balls, to take Pakistan to a strong position from where they could realistically chase down the target. They were 197-3 in the 30th over, before a mini-collapse reduced them to 199-6 in 31 overs. Three quick wickets put a serious dent in their pursuit of 362, but Fatima Sana once again rose to the occasion.
The Pakistan captain slammed a 36-ball 52, leaving them needing 82 runs off 47 balls when Diana Baig joined Syeda Aroob Shah in the middle. The duo’s 34-run partnership took them even closer to the target, with 49 runs required off the last four overs.
De Klerk, however, bowled a match-defining 47th over, picking up two wickets for just three runs to effectively close the game. With just one wicket in the bag, Baig continued her onslaught but could only take Pakistan to 345. She finished with 38 off 25 balls and was only dismissed on the penultimate delivery of the match.
The 706 runs in the match are the second-highest aggregate in a women's ODI. 663 of those came off the bat, which is a world record (across genders) for the most in an ODI without a single individual century being scored. The six fifty-plus scores in the match are also a joint-world record in women's ODIs.
Highest totals batting second in WODIs, full list
Pakistan’s 345 was the second-highest total in the second innings of a women’s ODI. They overtook India’s 341 against Australia in the 2025 World Cup semi-final, which is also the highest successful chase in WODI history.
India's 369 all out in a 413-run chase against Australia in September 2025 remains the highest second-innings total in WODIs.
| Team | Score | Opposition | Result | Venue | Date |
| India | 369 | Australia | Lost | Delhi | 20-Sep-25 |
| Pakistan | 345 | South Africa | Lost | Centurion | 25-Feb-26 |
| India | 341-5 | Australia | Won | Navi Mumbai | 30-Oct-25 |
| Australia | 331-7 | India | Won | Visakhapatnam | 12-Oct-25 |
| South Africa | 321-6 | India | Lost | Bengaluru | 19-Jun-24 |
| South Africa | 314-7 | India | Lost | Colombo | 07-May-25 |
| Sri Lanka | 305-4 | South Africa | Won | Potchefstroom | 17-Apr-24 |
| England | 305 | India | Lost | Chester-le-Street | 22-Jul-25 |
| South Africa | 305-9 | England | Lost | Bristol | 05-Jul-17 |
| Ireland | 301 | South Africa | Lost | Gqeberha | 16-Dec-25 |
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