Pakistan women edge out BD in warm-up tie

Women’s team prevails by five runs in closely fought encounter.

Pakistan women started their World Twenty20 campaign in Bangladesh with a five-run win in their warm-up match against Bangladesh on Thursday.

The team will play against Australia in a Group A tie on March 23 — the same day both teams’ male counterparts will lock horns.

Batting first in Savar, the 2010 Asian Games gold medallists scored a below-par total of 81 runs as their innings folded on the penultimate ball of their innings. Nahida Khan was the top-scorer for her team with 30 off 29 balls; her innings included four hits to the fence. Captain Sana Mir was the second-best with a score of 18 off 29 balls.

Bangladesh batters fail to overhaul target

In reply, the hosts found the going tough from the outset as opener Sanjida Islam fell without scoring at the start of the innings. The top three batters had returned to the pavilion by the fifth over with only 18 runs on the board. Ayasha Rahman fought hard with a 28-run knock.

The rest of the batting line-up failed to keep pace with the asking rate, with the hosts needing 10 runs in the last over of the match. Asmavia Iqbal bowled a superb over, conceding only four runs to ensure a five-run win for her team. She picked up three wickets in all.

Anam Amin also bowled a brilliant spell for her team as the left-arm spinner conceded six runs in her four-over spell and accounted for two batters in the process. Sana took one wicket in her three-over stint.

Sri Lanka beat Ireland in warm-up match

Sri Lankan women warmed-up for their World Twenty20 campaign with a 49-run win against Ireland in a one-sided preparatory match played in Savar.

Batting first, the Asians made good use of the wicket as they piled a score of 170 for five in the allotted 20 overs. Shashikala Siriwardene and Deepika Rasangika scored 50 each to help their team post a big score. Elena Tice and Isobel Joyce took a wicket each.

In reply, the Irish team were restricted to 121 for nine. Cecelia Joyce top-scored with 41 off 34 balls and Melissa Scott-Hayward scored 22 off 13 balls. Inoka Ranaweera and Chandima Gunaratne took two wickets each.

The Irish women failed in their bid to overhaul the score and resorted to batting practice towards the end of the innings.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2014.

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