The T20 phase of the Pakistan Cup Women’s Cricket Tournament 2022-23 witnessed an impressive display by the Strikers team as they emerged victorious in all three matches, showcasing their talent and skills ahead of the upcoming ACC Women’s Emerging Asia Cup in Hong Kong.
Led by Pakistan seamer Fatima Sana, the Strikers team made the most of the opportunity to gain valuable match practice. They started their campaign with a convincing 42-run victory over the Challengers team, followed by a dominant nine-wicket win against the Blasters team. In their final match of the T20 phase, they secured a thrilling three-run win against the Dynamites team.
In their first match, Shawaal Zulfiqar played a brilliant knock of 74 off 52 balls, supported by Natalia Pervaiz’s quickfire 39 off 29 deliveries, propelling the Strikers to a formidable total of 171 for six. The bowlers then stepped up to the task, with Anoosha Nasir picking up four wickets for 19 runs and Tuba Hasan claiming two wickets for 20 runs, restricting the Challengers to 129 runs.
The Strikers continued their dominant form in the next match against the Blasters, comfortably chasing down a target of 119 with nine wickets and six overs to spare. Eyman Fatima’s unbeaten 72 off 49 balls and Sadaf Shamas’ 40 not out off 26 balls propelled the Strikers to a comprehensive victory.
In their final match of the T20 phase, the Strikers displayed great composure to secure a narrow three-run win against the Dynamites in a low-scoring encounter. Umm-e-Hani was the standout bowler, taking three wickets for 18 runs, while Syeda Aroob Shah, captain of the Pakistan team in the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup, contributed with two wickets for 17 runs.
The Dynamites emerged as the second-best team in the T20 phase, winning two matches against the Blasters and the Challengers. Bismah Maroof, the former Pakistan captain and a key player for the Dynamites, accumulated the most runs in the phase, scoring 139 runs at an impressive average of 139 and a strike rate of 130. She recorded back-to-back half-centuries, displaying her class and experience.
Saima Malik of the Challengers registered the only five-wicket haul of the T20 phase, finishing with the best figures of five for nine. She ended the phase with six wickets, sharing the top spot with Dynamites leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima, who also claimed six wickets.
The one-day phase of the Pakistan Cup Women’s Cricket Tournament will commence on Tuesday, featuring three teams – Challengers, Blasters, and Dynamites. Each team will play against each other twice, leading up to the final on 4 June. All matches will be held at the State Bank Ground and will be live-streamed on the official YouTube channel of the Pakistan Cricket Board, providing fans with an opportunity to witness the thrilling encounters.
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