KARACHI: Pakistan finally registered their first victory of the ongoing West Indies tour of the country, when they beat the visitors by eight wickets in the fourth of the five-match women’s Twenty20 International series here at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.

After being subjected to a 3-0 ODI series whitewash, Pakistan lost the first three T20s to give the West Indies an unassailable lead before spin-bowling masterclasses by the hosts’ skipper Nida Dar and Sadia Iqbal lead them to a consolation victory.

Opting to bat first, West Indies got off to a disastrous start with opener Qiana Joseph falling for a golden duck in the very first ball of the innings. Hayley Matthews, the skipper, didn’t provide much resistance either, departing after contributing just one run to the scoreboard.

Shemaine Campbelle tried to steady the ship with a brisk 26 off 20 balls, but her efforts were short-lived as a mix-up in the middle saw her run out by Natalia Pervaiz. The middle order couldn’t quite find their footing either, with wickets falling at regular intervals.

Zaida James provided a glimmer of hope with a patient 19, but her dismissal by Nida dented West Indies’ aspirations further. The lower order struggled to capitalize on any momentum, managing to scrape together a meager total of 84-9 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.

Sadia led the bowling attack for Pakistan with a stellar performance, claiming three crucial wickets and conceding just 18 runs in her four overs. She was ably supported by Rameen Shamim and Nida, who chipped in with a wicket each.

In response, Pakistan opener Ayesha Zafar anchored the chase innings with an unbeaten 42 off 48 balls after Sidra Ameen provided a solid start with a brisk 15, but fell to Shamilia Connell in the early stages of the innings.

Muneeba Ali contributed a valuable eight runs before being dismissed by Afy Fletcher, but it was Gull Feroza’s composed 21 not out that guided Pakistan over the finishing line.

With just two wickets down, Pakistan reached the target in 16.3 overs. The West Indies bowling attack struggled to contain Pakistan and three dropped catches didn’t help as well, with only Connell and Fletcher managing to claim a wicket each.

Despite some tidy spells, the West Indies bowlers failed to create enough pressure to disrupt Pakistan’s chase.

Scores in brief:

WEST INDIES 84-9 in 20 overs (Shemaine Campbelle 26, Zaida James 19; Sadia Iqbal 3-18, Nida Dar 3-19); PAKISTAN 87-2 in 16.3 overs (Ayesha Zafar 42 not out, Gull Feroza 21 not out; Shamilia Connell 1-8, Afy Fletcher 1-6).

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2024