Nida Dar’s 93* takes Blasters to a win over Challengers

In what was a dress rehearsal for the final, Nida Dar’s fantastic 93 not out saw PCB Blasters to a two-wicket win over PCB Challengers at the National Stadium on the last day of group matches in the Pakistan Cup Women’s One-Day. The two teams had already secured berths in the final and will face-off in a day-night contest on Tuesday at the same venue.

All-rounder Nida – later awarded player of the match – rescued Blasters from a paltry two for two in their pursuit of 149. She smashed 13 fours in her undefeated 117-ball stay at the crease and took her side over the line with four overs spare.

Noreen Yaqub was the other scorer batter in the innings with 50-ball 21, as all other batters failed to enter double-digits. Challengers’ Waheeda Akhtar returned three for 18, while Pakistan pacer Diana Baig and Anoosha Nasir picked up two wickets each.

Javeria Khan’s Challengers were rolled out in 49.3 overs after their captain elected to bat after winning the toss.

Opener Sidra Amin top scored in the innings with 37-ball 19, while her fellow opener Fareeha Mehmood and Saba Nazir scored 18 each.

Blasters’ Samia Malik took three wickets for 27 runs. Omaima Sohail’s off-spin accounted for two batters, while Nida returned one for 18 from 10 overs.

At the Oval Academy Ground, PCB Dynamites crashed to their sixth consecutive defeat as Jaweria Rauf’s 88 not out helped PCB Strikers win by seven wickets.

Player of the match Jaweria smashed eight fours from 138 balls and stitched a match-defining 102-run partnership for the second wicket with Hafsa Khalid, who fell short of a half-century by only three runs.

Strikers’ captain Kainat Imtiaz shone with ball after she elected to field. Her right-arm medium-pace brought her side three wickets at the cost of 30 runs from eight overs.

Fatima Khan took two wickets for 12.

Dynamites’ skipper Muneeba Ali’s another half-century went in vain. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter scored 85 from 120 balls. This was Muneeba’s third half-century in the tournament, as she finished the group stage as the leading run-getter with 358 at 59.67 per innings. She is also the only centurion of the tournament, to date.

Scores in brief

PCB Blasters beat PCB Challengers by two wickets at National Stadium

PCB Challengers 148 all out, 49.3 overs (Saima Malik 3-27; Omaima Sohail 2-33)

PCB Blasters 152-8, 46 overs (Nida Dar 93 not out, Noreen Yaqub 21; Waheeda Akhtar 3-18, Anoosha Nasir 2-21, Diana Baig 2-52)

Player of the match – Nida Dar (PCB Blasters)

PCB Strikers beat PCB Dynamites by seven wickets at the Oval Academy Ground

PCB Dynamties 182 all out, 48.1 overs (Muneeba Ali 85, Syeda Insharah Asad 25, Nashra Sandhu 20; Kainat Imtiaz 3-30, Fatima Khan 2-12)

PCB Strikers 183-3, 44.4 overs (Jaweria Rauf 88 not out, Hafsa Khalid 47, Ayesha Zafar 24)

Player of the match – Jaweria Rauf (PCB Strikers)