NORTH SOUND (Antigua): West Indies women recorded a narrow 10-run victory over their Pakistan counterparts in the first of three-match Twenty20 International series at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in North Sound on Wednesday.

Set a 137-run target, Pakistan mustered 126-6 in their reply, which was some sort of recovery after the visitors had slumped to 57-6 in the first 13 overs.

Ayesha Naseem, coming in at No7, and Fatima Sana then knitted together an unbeaten 69-run partnership for the seven-wicket. Ayesha playing in her fifth T20, remained undefeated on 45 off 33 balls — her highest score in this format. Her innings included two fours and a six.Fatima scored unbeaten 24 off 21, hitting three fours.

For the hosts, player-of-the-match Shamilia Connell claimed three wickets, while Aaliyah Alleyne took two.

Earlier, Nida Dar’s brilliant spell of four overs in which she gave away only 15 runs and picked up two crucial wickets of Deandra Dottin and West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor brought Pakistan back in the contest after Hayley Matthews and Dottin provided a solid start to the hosts.

The West Indies openers added 65 from 53 balls, before Matthews — the top-scorer of the innings with 28-ball 32 — was dismissed by Nashra Sandhu in the ninth over.

Nida then made history with first delivery of the 10th over of the innings with the wicket of Dottin to become the first-ever Pakistani — across men’s or women’s game — to take 100 wickets in T20 Internationals. The two dismissals saw West Indies slip from 65-0 to 67-2 and the wicket of their captain on the last ball of the 14th over further compounded troubles for the hosts.

Pacer Fatima Sana sent back Kyshona Knight and Chedean Nation to finish with 2-32.Both sides will feature in the second T20 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua on Friday.

Scores in brief:

WEST INDIES WOMEN 136-6 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 32, Deandra Dottin 31, Kyshona Knight 23; Nida Dar 2-15, Fatima Sana 2-32); PAKISTAN WOMEN 126-6 in 20 overs (Ayesha Naseem 45 not out, Fatima Sana 24 not out; Shamilia Connell 3-21, Aaliyah Alleyne 2-23).

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2021