ISLAMABAD: The first One-day International between South African women and Pakistan women went down the wire and was decided on the final ball with the hosts securing a close three-run win after a brilliant fightback from the tourists. Following their captain Javeria Khan’s decision to bowl first, the Pakistan bowling unit, spearheaded by pacer Diana Baig, restricted the hosts to a modest 200 for nine and had them reeling at 88 for four at one stage. In their chase, they made a solid comeback from 78 for five to be only 13 runs away from the victory before the start of the last over. All-rounder Nida Dar contributed in both departments as she took two wickets for 35 with her off-spin before recording the highest score of the match with a 93-ball 59 not out, which included three fours. The 34-year-old is optimistic about her team bouncing back in the series when they take on South Africa for the second one-dayer at Durban’s Kingsmead Cricket Stadium on Saturday (today). “It was quite a thrilling match and the girls did not lose the fighting spirit till the last ball,” Nida told PCB Digital. “It was our first international match after a long gap and overall we played good, competitive cricket. I think we squandered an opportunity to go 1-0 up in the series. Certainly, there were some gaps and we have had discussions on how we can plug them. We are now looking forward to the next match.” Before Wednesday, Nida had posted 50-plus scores on four occasions. Reflecting on her innings, she said: “It is certainly good to score runs as it gives you confidence going into matches. However, every day is a new day and you encounter different. This time, despite scoring a half-century, I was not able to take my team over the line, but it will not be the case the next time.” Pakistan squad: Javeria Khan (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Syeda Aroob Shah.