KARACHI: As expected, Karachi and Lahore qualified for the final of the ninth Fatima Jinnah Women’s Cricket Championship after both outfits recorded their third successive victories on Wednesday.

Karachi cantered to a nine-wicket success over Sialkot in their last Pool ‘A’ fixture at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad. Lahore, meanwhile, defeated Islamabad by 69 runs in their Pool ‘B’ meeting at the Diamond Club Ground, the venue of Friday’s final.

In the inconsequential remaining fixtures, Hyderabad handed Rawalpindi their third straight loss in Pool ‘A’ and Multan also condemned Abbottabad to a similar fate in the other pool.

Sialkot found the going tough after skipper Nida Dar chose to bat first as Karachi bowled to a nagging length to restrict them to a disappointing 149-9 in 50 overs.

Opener Saba Nazir consumed no less than 129 balls to score just 29 with one four before providing off-spinner Shumaila Qureshi one of her three wickets. Saba and her opening partner Soha Fatima (21 off 68 balls, three boundaries) added 51 before being separated in the 23rd over,

Nida Dar hit four fours in making 25 from 46 balls, while Rabia Shahid scored an unbeaten 22 off 28 balls with two fours.

Leg-spinner Rida Hussain picked up three wickets for 25 runs in seven fours with Shumaila taking 3-37 in 10 overs. Seaming all-rounder Kainat Imtiaz bagged 2-18 in 7.3 overs.

Karachi then knocked off the required runs in 23.1 overs with Javeria Khan continuing her brilliant form with a third consecutive 50-plus contribution with the bat.

The opener followed her 68 not out against Rawalpindi and a buccaneering 161 versus Hyderabad with a boundary-laden 31-ball innings of 57 before she retired not out. Player-of-the-match Javeria slammed no less than 13 fours.

Javeria Rauf made 25 (35 balls, five fours) before skipper Nain Abidi (35 off 33 balls, six boundaries) and Muniba Ali (27 off 40, four fours) completed the last rites.

Lahore, electing to bat first after Bismah Maroof won the toss, were dismissed for a modest 158 in the 49th over with opener Marina Iqbal (36 off 58 balls, three fours and one six) emerging as the top scorer.

Leg-spinner Anoshay Malik claimed three wickets for 32 runs in 10 over with off-spinner Mariam Hasan (2-17 in 10 overs) and slow left-armer Hina Shafiq (2-22 in 10 overs) providing excellent support.

But Islamabad’s response to the easily-gettable chase was a disaster as they capitulated inside 44 overs for only 89 runs with opener Fazila Akhlaq (16), Hina Shafiq (16) and Sonia Ilyas (13) the only batswomen reaching double figures.

Slow left-armer Anum Amin returned flattering analysis of three wickets for mere six runs in 9.5 overs of which six were maidens. Bismah snared three for 15 in nine overs with her leg-spinners while off-spinner Elizabeth Barkat took 2-18 in seven overs.

Hyderabad captain Sumaiya Siddiqui claimed her second seven-for in the ongoing championship in a low-scoring match at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.

Sumaiya, who returned a remarkable 7-27 against Sialkot at the National Cricket Ground last Saturday, destroyed Rawalpindi with magnificent figures of seven for 21 in 9.4 overs with her medium-pacers.

Rawalpindi, unsurprisingly, folded up for 97 in the 34th over after their captain Naila Nazir opted to bat first at the toss. Barring opener Badar-un-Nisa (36 off 72 balls, three boundaries) and Azra Farooq (34 off 72, five fours) it was sorry tale for the home side. Badar and Azra shared a sixth-wicket partnership worth 59.

Off-spinner Zakiya Gul lent good support to her captain with two wickets for 10 runs.

Hyderabad lost half their side before winning by five wickets. Zakiya scored a bright 31 off 36 deliveries with the aid of five boundaries, while Natalia Pervez made an unbeaten 24.

Abbottabad, who were bundled out for 55 in their last game by Lahore, once again found the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad their graveyard as they succumbed to 46 all out in 24.4 overs against Multan.

Put into bat, Abbottabad batswomen had no answer against Multan skipper Asmavia Iqbal (4-19 in eight overs) and the off-spinning duo of Nadia Hussain, who took four wickets for one run in 3.4 overs, and Sana Gulzar (2-0 in five overs).

Pakistan all-rounder Qanita Jalil (15 off 43 balls, three fours) was the only player to enter double digits while no of her team-mates failed to open their account.

Multan won by 10 wickets with Nadia Hussain adjudged player-of-the-match.

Results on Wednesday:

Pool ‘A’:

At National Cricket Ground, Islamabad: Karachi bt Sialkot by nine wickets.

SIALKOT 149-9 in 50 overs (Saba Nazir 29, Nida Dar 25, Rabia Shahid 22 not out, Soha Fatima 21; Rida Hussain 3-25, Shumaila Qureshi 3-37, Kainat Imtiaz 2-18); KARACHI 152-1 in 23.1 overs (Javeria Khan 57 retired, Nain Abidi 35 not out, Muniba Ali 27 not out, Javeria Rauf 25).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: Hyderabad bt Rawalpindi by five wickets.

RAWALPINDI 97 in 33.4 overs (Badar-un-Nisa 36, Azra Farooq 34; Sumaiya Siddiqui 7-21, Zakiya Gul 2-10); HYDERABAD 98-5 in 28.3 overs (Zakiya Gul 31, Natalia Pervez 24 not out, Sumaiya Siddiqui 18 not out; Masooma Basharat 2-20).

Pool ‘B’

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: Lahore bt Islamabad by 69 runs.

LAHORE 158 in 48.2 overs (Marina Iqbal 36, Aliya Riaz 25, Iram Javed 24, Hafsa Amjad 21; Anoshay Malik 3-32, Mariam Hasan 2-17, Hina Shafiq 2-22); ISLAMABAD 89 in 43.2 overs (Fazila Akhlaq 16, Hina Shafiq 16; Anum Amin 3-6, Bismah Maroof 3-15, Elizabeth Barkat 2-18).

At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: Multan bt Abbottabad by 10 wickets.

ABBOTTABAD 46 in 24.4 overs (Qanita Jalil 15; Nadia Hussain 4-1, Asmavia Iqbal 4-19, Sana Gulzar 2-0); MULTAN 47-0 in 15.1 overs (Areeb Shamim 21 not out, Komal Feroz 20 not out).

Friday’s fixture: Final — Karachi v Lahore (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad).

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2014