Odishatv Bureau
Cuttack: Pakistan on Tuesday crashed out of the ICC Women's World Cup after suffering a heavy 126-run defeat against South Africa in their concluding group league fixture at the Barabati Stadium, here.
 
Pakistan were shot out for 81 in 29.4 overs while chasing 208 for victory as they finished their World Cup campaign without a single win.
 
South Africa rode on Marizanne Kapp's unbeaten 150-ball 102 and his unconquered 128-run sixth-wicket partnership with Dane Van Niekerk (77-ball 55 not out) to post a competitive 207 for five in their alloted 50 overs.
 
Marizanne then 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 and qualify for the Super Six stage.
 
South Africa finished their league engagements with two points from three games while Pakistan remained winless after having lost their other two Group 'B' games to Australia and New Zealand.
 
Electing to bat, South Africa were left tottering at 79 for five in 23.5 overs but Marizanne's maiden international hundred and her record century-plus stand Niekerk got the team out of the woods.
 
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 resuurect 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.
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