West Indies squeeze past Pakistan in thriller

20 February, 2023

PAARL-West Indies kept their slender semifinal hopes alive with a nail-biting three-run win over Pakistan that went down to the last ball. 

Bidding to build on their win over Ireland, Windies opted to bat and posted a below-par 116-6 at Boland Park in Paarl. Skipper Hayley Matthews took key Pakistan wickets early and late in the innings to inspire her side to a dramatic victory. Matthews and Rashada Wil­liams flayed 15 from the bowl­ing of Aiman Anwer in the fourth over but navigated the powerplay in cagey fashion. 

Matthews perished late in the powerplay when she tried to lift Fatima Sana over the midwicket boundary but only found the hands of Sidra Ameen. It was a massive wick­et that sparked wild celebra­tions but not a flurry of scalps as Shemaine Campbelle joined Williams and the pair put on 40 at a run-a-ball. 

The second-wicket stand came to a tame end when Wil­liams offered a simple return catch to Sadia Iqbal to depart for 30. Chinelle Henry mus­cled two boundaries but was trapped in front by Nida Dar for 11 and Campbelle went in the next over, smartly stumped by Muneeba Ali. Nida Dar bowled Aaliyah Alleyne in the penultimate over, her 125th T20I wicket, making her the joint-leading wicket-taker in the history of the format. 

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Pakistan began cautious­ly in reply to 116-6 and it was Matthews, who got the break­through, dismissing the dan­gerous Muneeba Ali for five in the fourth over. She was at the heart of the action again two balls later when she took a sharp catch at midwicket to account for Sidra Ameen, with Pakistan 15-2. 

The experienced pairing of Bismah and Nida then em­barked on a measured partner­ship that rarely got out of first gear until the latter whipped Henry to the midwicket fence in the 13th. Nida looked to go ae­rial again in the next over but was deceived in the flight by Afy Fletcher and caught at extra cover by Karishma Ramharack, with 57 runs still required. 

Pakistan have been by some distance the best finishers at this tournament and Aliya Riaz began to free her arms. But she lost the stabilising influ­ence of Bismah who was given out LBW on review. Aliya and Fatima needed 18 from the fi­nal over and they took 13 from Shamilia Connell’s first four balls with some brilliant hit­ting, before Aliya chopped on to her own stumps to dramati­cally end Pakistan’s hopes.

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