Pakistan have ended a 13-year-long wait for a win at the World Cup as they beat West Indies in a rain-affected match at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Monday (March 21).
Follow Us
Pakistan have ended a 13-year-long wait for a win at the World Cup as they beat West Indies in a rain-affected match at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Monday (March 21). After restricting West Indies for 89/7 in the 20-overs-a-side game, they successfully reached the target.
Muneeba Ali (37 off 43) got off to a flying start in the chase in the third over with back to back boundaries – a slog-sweep followed by a streaky four off an edge. However, she couldn’t stay long but before going, she laid the foundation as well adding a 35-run stand with captain Bismah Maroof (20* off 29).
Maroof later added a 33-run stand for the 3rd wicket with Omaima Sohail (22* off 27) and reached the finish line with 7 balls and eight wickets to spare. With this, they registered their first win in the World Cup after 13 years. They last beat West Indies in Sydney on March 14 in the 2009 edition of the tournament as well. In between them, Pakistan lost 18 matches across 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2022 editions as well.
However, all-rounder Nida Dar was the star of the match for Pakistan as she claimed 4 wickets while giving away only 10 runs in her 4-over spell and dismantled West Indies’ middle-order. Along with her, Anam Amin was stunning on the field as she conceded only 6 runs in her 4-over spell, which included a maiden as well.
READ MORE: CWC22: NZ vs England – Heather Knight praises White Ferns for putting up a great show
As far as West Indies’ innings is concerned, opener Deandra Dottin top-scored with 27 but others hardly managed to contribute. There was a turn on the pitch and they had a brisk start. Although Deandra Dottin started with a flurry of boundaries off Diana Baig who conceded all four of those in her two opening overs, Anam Amin’s maiden over in the powerplay changed the equation.
Hayley Matthews was the first wicket that fell who top-edged Fatima Sana to the backward point right after the powerplay. From 22 off 21, Dottin played the next 14 deliveries for scoring only 6 before giving a low return catch to Nida Dar off her very first delivery of the first over. This came just about when West Indies had started to steady the ship. With Amin’s stunning spell of 4-1-6-0, the pressure started increasing as well.
Soon Dar had removed Shemaine Campbelle for 7 before dismissing Kycia Knight and Chinelle Henry off consecutive deliveries in her final over to register a career-best haul of 4 for 10 as well. Pakistan team, then claimed a collective hat-trick when Stafanie Taylor hit the very next ball back to the bowler, Nashra Sandhu, who grabbed a stunner.
Reeling at 63 for 7, Afy Fletcher came to the rescue and a 12-run penultimate over and 11 runs in the final over helped them put up 89 on board in their allotted 20 overs as well.
