Fatima, Shawal lead Pakistan to historic Womens T20 win over New Zealand

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Dunedin. Thanks to fast bowler Fatima Sana’s brilliant 3-18 and Shawal Zulfikar’s 41 runs, Pakistan won the first match of the T20 series against New Zealand by seven wickets. This result also means that Pakistan has got its first women’s T20 win over New Zealand.

The New Zealand team, which came to bat first, was reduced to 127/6 due to Fatima’s excellent bowling. Fatima, who missed the Bangladesh tour due to injury, took advantage of overcast conditions to bowl a brilliant spell of 3-18, which included the wickets of Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Kate Anderson and Suzie Bates.

Captain Nida Dar, Diana Baig and Aliya Riaz did the damage to New Zealand’s task of rebuilding the innings by taking one wicket each at regular intervals. Maddy Green was the highest run scorer, scoring unbeaten 43 runs with the help of five fours in 28 balls and taking New Zealand beyond 120.

Chasing 128 runs, Pakistan’s opening pair of Shawal and Muneeba Ali made a good partnership of 40 runs, but Muneeba later became the victim of Sophie Devine after scoring 23 runs in 24 balls. Nida moved himself up the order and shared a 51-run partnership with young Shawal for the second wicket.

The 18-year-old Shawal, playing her sixth T20 match and first in New Zealand, made her highest score of 41 runs with the help of seven fours in 42 balls before being dismissed at the end of the 13th over. Nida also departed after scoring 23 runs in 14 balls as Pakistan lost set batsmen in quick succession.

The responsibility of giving victory to Pakistan with 10 balls remaining was on the experienced pair of Bismah Maroof and Aliya. Alia returned unbeaten on 25 off 12 balls, hitting two fours and a six, including the winning run on the second ball of the 19th over, and completed the chase in spectacular style.

Whereas Bismah remained unbeaten after scoring 13 runs in 18 balls with one four. Pakistan will now face New Zealand in the second T20I at the same venue on Tuesday, while the third and final T20I of the series will be played in Queenstown on December 9.

Brief scores: New Zealand 127/6 in 20 overs (Maddy Green 43 not out, Suzie Bates 28; Fatima Sana 3-18) lost to Pakistan 132/3 in 18.2 overs by seven wickets (Shawal Zulfikar 41 not out, Aliya Riaz 25 not out; Sophie Devine 2-23, Eden Carson 1-27)

–IANS

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