South Africa Women Beat NZ; Men Tour Pakistan

South Africa’s men will begin their World Test Championship title defence with a two-match tour of Pakistan starting Oct. 12 in Lahore, with stand‑in captain Aiden Markram leading a squad that has prepared on simulated turning tracks as regular skipper Temba Bavuma recovers from a calf injury. In the Women's World Cup, South Africa produced a dramatic comeback in Indore on Oct. 6, chasing 232 to beat New Zealand by six wickets. Tazmin Brits scored 101 off 89 balls and Sune Luus an unbeaten 83 as Nonkululeko Mlaba took 4-40 to restrict New Zealand to 231. Marizanne Kapp also dismissed Suzie Bates for a first‑ball duck in Bates’s 350th international; Sophie Devine made 85 but New Zealand collapsed late and now face mounting pressure after consecutive losses. The results revive South Africa’s women’s campaign and shift attention to both the women's momentum and the men's spin‑focused Test preparations.