Windies Women hammer Pakistanis to go top
GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) — West Indies Women trounced Pakistan Women by six wickets in the final One-Day International on Saturday night to clinch the four-match series 3-1, and join Australia at the top of the ICC Women’s Championship.
Chasing a modest 183 for victory at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium, the hosts cantered home in the 43rd over with their inspirational captain Stafanie Taylor stroking an attractive unbeaten 87 from 107 deliveries, to pick up the Player-of-the-Match ward.
The win was the Windies Women’s third on the trot after losing the opening game two Fridays ago and more importantly, saw them sweep the contests designated as ICC Championship games and grab the six vital points required to move to the top of the points table alongside the Aussies on 16 points.
A qualifying tournament for the 2017 Women’s World Cup, the top four sides from the Championship will gain automatic qualification for the event scheduled for England.
Sent in, Pakistan Women were restricted to 182 for five off their 50 overs, thanks to superb bowling from pacer Shamilia Connell who snared three for 32 from her ten overs.
Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed picked up two for 30 while Hayley Matthews strangled the visitors with her off-breaks in a ten-over spell that went for just 20 runs.
Asmavia Iqbal top-scored with 44 not out off 43 balls batting at number seven while Bismah Maroof chipped in with 41, Javeria Khan, 25 and captain Sana Mir, an unbeaten 24.
The Pakistanis’ start was a sluggish one, as Javeria Khan and debutant Ayesha Zafar (20) put on 32 from 62 balls before both fell to Mohammed.
Languishing at 107 for five in the 37th over, Pakistan Women were then bolstered by an unbroken 75-run, sixth wicket stand between Asmavia Iqbal who struck seven fours and Sana Mir who faced 48 balls without a boundary.
In reply, West Indies lost Matthews without scoring with six runs on the board in the fourth over, and were further set back when they also lost the other opener Kycia Knight for 19 at 32 for two in in the ninth.
However, any fears of a West Indies Women collapse were quickly dashed as Taylor took control in two telling partnerships.
First, the right-hander put on 54 for the third wicket with Deandra Dottin, who struck 25 from 43 balls with a four and a six. When she departed in the 23rd over to a catch at the wicket off leg-spinner Bismah, Taylor found an ally in former captain Merissa Aguilleira who stroked an important 37 off 62 deliveries with two fours.
The two teams will now turn their attention to the three-match Twenty20 series which bowls off in Grenada on Thursday.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN WOMEN
Javeria Khan c King b Mohammed 25
Ayesha Zafar c Taylor b Mohammed 20
Bismah Maroof c Cooper b Connell 41
Nain Abidi c wkp Kycia A Knight b Connell 14
Nida Dar lbw b Connell 2
*Sana Mir not out 24
Asmavia Iqbal not out 44
Extras (lb2, w9, nb1) 12TOTAL (5 wkts, 50 overs) 182
Did not bat: Sania Khan, Sumaiya Siddiqi, +Rabiya Shah, Anam Amin
Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Ayesha Zafar), 2-67 (Javeria Khan), 3-91 (Nain Abidi), 4-101 (Nida Dar), 5-107 (Bismah Maroof)
Bowling: Smartt 10-1-44-0 (nb1), Connell 10-1-32-3 (w3), Mohammed 10-1-30-2, Taylor 8-0-43-0 (w3), Matthews 10-1-20-0, Dottin 2-0-11-0 (w2).
WEST INDIES WOMEN
+Kycia Knight lbw b Asmavia Iqbal 19
H Matthews lbw b Anam Amin 0
*S Taylor not out 87
D Dottin c wkp Rabiya Shah b Bismah Maroof 25
M Aguilleira c Nain Abidi b Sania Khan 37
Kyshona Knight not out 1
Extras (lb7, w6, nb1) 14
TOTAL (4 wkts, 42.2 overs) 183
Did not bat: B Cooper, S King, A Mohammed, T Smartt, S Connell.
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Matthews), 2-32 (Kycia Knight), 3-86 (Dottin), 4-180 (Aguilleira)
Bowling: Sumaiya Siddiqi 7.2-0-34-0 (w1), Anam Amin 9-2-26-1 (w2), Asmavia Iqbal 2-0-15-1 (nb1), Sania Khan 4-0-20-1 (w2), Sana Mir 5-1-28-0, Bismah Maroof 8-0-29-1, Nida Dar 7-1-24-0 (w1).
Result: West Indies Women won by six wickets.
Series: West Indies Women win series 3-1.
Player-of-the-Match: Stafanie Taylor.
Player-of-the-Series: Stafanie Taylor.
Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite, Joel Wilson.