An all-round performance from 19-year-old Fatima Sana helped Pakistan national women’s team record their second consecutive win as they defeated the hosts by 22 runs (DLS method) in the fifth and final One-Day International at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Sunday. With the West Indies Women winning the first three matches, the Stafanie Taylor-led side won the series 3-2.
Chasing 194 for win, West Indies were bowled out for 171 on the last ball of the match. Fatima, right-arm fast bowler, took five for 39 in seven overs which earned her second consecutive player of the match award. She accounted for well settled Deandra Dottin (37 off 47) and Britney Cooper (40 off 53) in her first spell, before getting Rashada Williams (Five off Five), Chinelle Henry (14 off 15) and Anisa Mohammed (0 off two) in her last over of the match.
Fatima, who is the recipient of the PCB Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2020 award, ended-up taking 11 wickets in the five-match ODI series. Her four for 30 in the previous ODI not only helped her side to a four-wicket win over the hosts but had also earned her the player of the match award.
Her five-wicket haul was the best figures for Pakistan’s bowler in ODI in almost eight years. It was Sadia Yousuf who took five for 35 against Ireland in Dublin in 2013.
Earlier, it was a sparkling 19-ball 28 not out by Fatima that helped Pakistan post 190 for eight in 34 overs after West Indies captain Taylor elected to bowl after winning the toss. The target was revised to 194 as Pakistan lost two overs in between their innings due to a rain-interruption after the match was curtailed to 36 overs per innings as the start of the match was delayed by two hours and 40 minutes because of early morning showers.
Fatima smashed four fours that helped Pakistan plunder 40 off the last five overs. From the 30th over onwards, Fatima smashed a boundary every over and finished the proceeding with a crunching boundary.
Wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali scored 39 off 59 at the top of the order, hitting five fours, as she stitched a 41-run opening stand with Sidra Amin (13 off 35).
Omaima Sohail, coming into the match with two successive half-centuries, pushed the opposition bowlers on the backfoot after they had picked up two wickets – Sidra and Javeria Khan – in the span of five runs and added 49 runs with Muneeba.
Omaima fell 16 runs short of what could have been her third ODI half-century on trot, but not before adding 34 more runs with Kainat Imtiaz, who made 21 off 24. Omaima, the right-handed middle-order batter, scored 37-ball 34, which included three fours.
Ayesha Naseem, the 16-year-old Abbottabad-born batter, smashed the only six of the innings in her 14-ball 16 down the order. She was dismissed off Shabika Gajnabi, who returned the best figures for the innings with two for 26. Chinelle Henry and Anisa Mohammed were the other two bowlers to finish with two wickets in their columns, while Shamila Connel and Hayley Matthews picked up a wicket each.
Scores in brief:
Pakistan Women beat West Indies Women by 22 runs (DLS)
Pakistan Women 190-8, 34 overs (Muneeba Ali 39, Omaima Sohail 34, Fatima Sana 28 not out, Kainat Imtiaz 21; Shabika Gajnabi 2-26, Chinelle Henry 2-37, Anisa Mohammed 2-39)
West Indies Women 171 all out, 34 overs (Britney Cooper 40, Deandra Dottin 37; Fatima Sana 5-39, Diana Baig 2-32)
Player of the match – Fatima Sana (Pakistan)
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