Pakistan’s 18-match losing streak in the ICC ODI Women’s World Cup finally came to an end as a result of Nida Dar’s brilliant spell of bowling stifled the Windies women with a brilliant four-wicket haul in a rain-hit encounter at Seddon Park.
Rain washed out a majority of the game, as a lot of time was lost, reducing the encounter to 20-overs a side. Pakistan were on a 13-year losing streak, last winning a game in the 2009 World Cup, which was also coincidentally against the West Indies.
Deandra Dottin struck a series of boundaries after Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof won the toss and decided to bowl. Hayley Matthews was dismissed cheaply, falling to Fatima Sana after Dotin’s ambush in the first couple of overs.
Dotin’s entertaining stay at the crease came to an end as Nida Dar struck to get rid of the dangerous Caribbean. Dottin’s dismissal seamed to open the floodgates as the Caribbeans could barely make a dent on the scoreboard from that point forward, losing wickets at frighteningly regular intervals.
Dar’s off-spin squared up the Caribbean batsman, as the spin-friendly Seddon Park gave her lots of assistance. Dar wreaked havoc on the West Indies line-up, picking up four wickets in her brief four-over spell. Only three Windies batters could cross the 10-run mark, as their innings finished at a hapless 89/7 at the end of 20 overs.
The chase was not difficult in the least for the Pakistan women, who lost Sidra Ameen in the fifth over for just eight runs. However, the rest of the chase was pretty much smooth sailing for the Women in Green, as Muneeba Ali attacked the Windies line-up, ending the game as a contest well before the end of the Pakistan chase. Captain Bismah Maroof and Omaima Sohail took the Pakistan side home to a comfortable victory by eight wickets, with seven balls to spare.
Brief scores
Pakistan 90/2 in 18.5 overs (Ali 37; Sohail 22*; Selman 1/15) beat West Indies 89/7 in 20 overs (Dottin 27; Taylor 18; Dar 4/10) by 8 wickets.
