Six of the best for Pakistan's Sandhu sees Proteas Women crash to 115 all out

Nashra Sandhu claimed a career-best 6/26 to skittle a much-changed Proteas Women’s batting line-up for just 115 in the third and final ODI in Lahore on Monday.

The Proteas, who have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, rested the in-form Tazmin Brits, and allrounder Marizanne Kapp, and opted to promote teenager Karabo Meso to join captain Laura Wolvaardt at the top of the order.

The plan seemed to be working with the Proteas moving to 38 without loss before Wolvaardt (28) was caught behind off Diana Baig.

This opened the door for Sandu with new batter Sune Luus (10) being her first victim. The lefty-arm spinner then ran through the rest of the Proteas middle to lower order with none of the batters being able to form any partnerships. 

The middle-order consisting of youngster Miane Smit, Anneke Bosch, who was playing her first international since December last year, and Sinalo Jafta certainly looked rusty at the crease. 

The Proteas’ well-documented struggles against spin resurfaced with leg-spinner Syeda Shah chipping in with 2/16 to support Sandu’s heroics. 

The collapse is likely to disappoint Proteas batting coach Baakier Abrahams as the team prepares for next month’s World Cup. 

Abrahams was confident in the pre-match build-up that the Proteas are not reliant solely on Brits, who has struck three successive ODI centuries, and skipper Wolvaardt at the top of the order.

“I think within our lineup we've got a good host of batters that can go on and do some really special things in terms of hundreds,” Abrahams said on Sunday.

“I think reading the game, implementing a strategy and executing at a high level. So I think we're pretty confident whichever sort of batting lineup we put out, the skills that they've developed over the last 15 months will stand us in good stead.”