South Africa delivered a commanding performance to thrash Pakistan by 150 runs in a rain-curtailed Women’s World Cup round-robin match on Tuesday, jumping to the top of the points table.

The match, affected by rain, was reduced to 40 overs per side, but that did little to stop the South Africans from dominating proceedings. Batting first, the Proteas posted a formidable 312 for 9, powered by skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s fluent 90 and solid half-centuries from Sune Luus (61) and Marizanne Kapp (68).

Pakistan, in reply, struggled to find momentum and were bundled out well short of the target, falling 150 runs behind in a one-sided encounter.

With this emphatic win, South Africa moved to 10 points from six games, overtaking both Australia and England, who are tied at nine points and set to face each other in Indore on Wednesday.

The result also adds pressure to India and New Zealand, who are now left to battle for the remaining semifinal slot. As the tournament nears its final stages, South Africa’s all-round performance has firmly established them as strong contenders for the title.