COLOMBO: Openers Ayesha Zafar and Javeria Khan struck centuries while putting on a scintillating 212-run partnership as Pakistan outplayed Papua New Guinea in the ICC World Cup Qualifier fixture at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo on Friday.

Pakistan women’s highest ODI partnership is 181 recorded by the pair of Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar in 2013 against Ireland for the fourth wicket.

However, the stark difference between this 2013 partnership and Ayesha-Javeria stand on Friday is that PNG don’t have ODI status.

Ayesha and Javeria brought up hundreds as Pakistan piled on a commanding total of 276 for 5 before cleaning up PNG to register an emphatic 236-run victory. Regular skipper Sana Mir was rested to give charge to Bismah Maroof who elected to bat first.

Ayesha and Javeria sent PNG on a leather hunt as Pakistan’s 100 came in 21 overs; Ayesha retired out right after hitting 21 boundaries in her 98-ball 115.

Javeria was bowled by Ravini Oa for a 146-ball 100, which included 11 boundaries.

Spinner Nashra Sandhu then struck twice each in consecutive overs, just missing out on a hat-trick, as PNG slipped from 36 for 4 to 40 all out. Nashra ended up claiming five wickets for 11 runs.

Meanwhile, India scored a comprehensive 125-run victory over Ireland for a third consecutive win in Group ‘A’ to ensure a place in the Super Six stage of the competition.

India opener Thirush Kamini struck a career-best 113 not out with 11 fours and four sixes as India posted a challenging 250 for two. She figured in a 174-run opening stand with Deepti Sharma (89) who knocked up her second half-century of the tournament. The left-handed pair batted close to 40 overs in what was India’s first opening century-stand in ODIs in close to four years.

Ireland, which had lost to Sri Lanka earlier in the league, could only manage 125 off 49.1 overs with leg-spinner Poonam Yadav the most successful bowler taking three for 30. Gaby Lewis (33) and Isobel Joyce (31) could only prolong the inevitable in sultry weather.

Results of other matches:

At P. Sara Oval: India beat Ireland by 125 runs.

INDIA 250-2 in 50 overs (M.D.T. Kamini 113 not out, D.B. Sharma 89); IRELAND 125 in 49.1 overs (G.H. Lewis 33, I.M.H.C. Joyce 31; Poonam Yadav 3-30, S. Pandey 2-11, D.P. Vaidya 2-11, E. Bisht 2-15).

At CCC Ground: Bangladesh beat Scotland by seven wickets.

SCOTLAND 140 in 49.1 overs (K. Anderson 28; Salma Khatun 3-21, Khadija Tul Kubra 3-31, Rumana Ahmed 2-24); BANGLADESH 143-3 in 37.3 overs (Fargana Hoque 53 not out, Rumana Ahmed 38 not out).

At MCA Ground: Zimbabwe beat Thailand by 36 runs.

ZIMBABWE 191-8 in 50 overs (M. Musonda 35, P. Marange 34; C. Sutthiruang 2-57); THAILAND 155 in 47.3 overs (S. Tippoch 50; N. Granger 2-30).

Saturday’s schedule (all matches start at 9:30am PST):

Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe (NCC Ground), South Africa vs Bangladesh (P. Sara Oval), Ireland vs Thailand (CCC Ground), Scotland vs Papua New Guinea (MCA Ground).

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Ayesha Zafar retired out 115 Javeria Khan b Oa 100 Rabiya Shah run out 9 Muneeba Ali not out 25 Aliya Riaz c Tau b Siaka 8 Aiman Anwar b Siaka 1 Nain Abidi not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-13) 16

TOTAL (for five wkts, 50 overs) 276

FALL OF WKTS: 1-212, 2-232, 3-237, 4-262, 5-264.

DID NOT BAT: Bismah Maroof, Maham Tariq, Ghulam Fatima, Nashra Sandhu.

BOWLING: Oa 10-1-49-1 (2w); Tom 4-0-31-0 (3w); Jimmy 3-0-18-0 (1w); Ovasuru 10-0-47-0; Oala 4-0-24-0; Ruma 4-1-36-0 (1w); Arua 5-0-34-0 (2w); Siaka 10-1-34-2 (2w).

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:

N. Ovasuru c Rabiya b Maham 5 B. Tau c Rabiya b Nashra 8 T. Ruma c Aliya b Maham 0 P. Siaka b Aiman 5 K. Oala c Ayesha b Nashra 14 V. Frank st Rabiya b Nashra 3 S. Jimmy b Nashra 0 V. Araa c Rabiya b Nashra 0 K. Arua not out 0 R. Oa c Javeria b Fatima 1 M. Tom c Javeria b Fatima 0

EXTRAS (W-3, NB-1) 4

TOTAL (all out, 24.5 overs) 40

FALL OF WKTS: 1-6, 2-12, 3-17, 4-24, 5-36, 6-36, 7-39, 8-39, 9-40.

BOWLING: Maham Tariq 6-2-5-2 (1w); Aiman Anwar 6-0-15-1; Aliya Riaz 5-3-6-0 (1nb); Nashra Sandhu 6-2-11-5; Ghulam Fatima 1.5-0-3-2 (2w).

RESULT: Pakistan won by 236 runs.

UMPIRES: L.S. Reifer (West Indies) and J.M. Williams (West Indies).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Ayesha Zafar.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2017