Dambulla, July 21 (IANS) Pakistan Women’s Cricket team revived their Women’s Asia Cup campaign with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Nepal. After suffering a defeat to India in their opening match, Pakistan needed a win to stay in contention, and they delivered spectacularly.
Nepal, having been put into bat, began their innings with promise. Samjhana Khadka, fresh from her match-winning half-century against UAE, showcased her aggressive intent early on by slapping Fatima Sana over extra cover for a boundary on the fourth ball of the innings. However, her aggressive approach led to her downfall as she mistimed a pull shot and offered a simple catch to Nashra Sandhu at short midwicket on the very next delivery.
Undeterred by the early loss, Sita Rana Magar and Kabita Kunwar continued Nepal’s aggressive approach, each hitting boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Magar and Kunwar’s efforts took Nepal to a respectable 29 for 1 after four overs.
However, Pakistan’s bowlers then began to tighten their grip on the game. Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal was particularly effective, rapping Kunwar on the pads multiple times before finally getting her caught behind in her second over. Iqbal struck again in the same over, dismissing Nepal’s captain Indu Barma with an arm ball that rattled the stumps.
Omaima Sohail followed up with a maiden over, and by the end of the powerplay, Nepal were reeling at 30 for 3. The middle overs saw Pakistan’s bowlers and fielders working in tandem to stifle Nepal’s progress. Rubina Chhetry managed to loft Sandhu down the ground for a boundary, but her dismissal via a run-out soon after put Nepal further on the back foot. Another run-out, this time of Magar, added to Nepal’s woes, leaving them at 68 for 5 after 15 overs.
Despite the setbacks, Puja Mahato and Kabita Joshi provided a late surge, hitting six fours in the space of 18 balls. Mahato’s run-out towards the end of the innings did not deter Joshi, who remained unbeaten and even hit the only six of the innings in the final over off Sana’s bowling. Nepal’s spirited finish, aided by some sloppy fielding from Pakistan, saw them post 108 for 6.
Chasing 109, Pakistan’s opening pair, Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali, made light work of the target. Feroza was the aggressor, scoring a blistering 57 off just 35 balls, while Muneeba provided solid support with an unbeaten 46 off 34 balls. Their partnership of 105 runs in just 11.2 overs ensured a comprehensive victory for Pakistan, with nine wickets and plenty of overs to spare.
This emphatic win boosted Pakistan’s Net Run Rate (NRR) to 0.409 and propelled them to second place on the points table.
–IANS
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