CANBERRA, Australia, Feb 26, CMC – Sloppy West Indies lost to Pakistan for only the second time in Twenty20 Internationals when they slumped to an eight-wicket defeat here Wednesday, in their second match of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
In a Group B contest at Manuka Oval, the Caribbean side could only muster 124 for seven off their 20 overs in a lacklustre effort, and Pakistan chased down the target with 10 balls to spare, to make a winning start to their campaign.
Captain Bismah Maroof stroked an unbeaten 38 off 37 balls while Player-of-the-Match Javeria Khan struck 35 from 28 deliveries and fellow opener Muneeba Ali, a breezy 25 from 26 balls.
West Indies did themselves no favours, however, bowling loosely early on, conceding precious runs and missing a run out with untidy ground fielding before Chedean Nation put down Nida Dar (18 not out) late in the encounter off seamer Shakera Selman. The result left the top four teams in Group B all on two points with minnows Thailand bottom after going winless in their two outings.
Sent in earlier, West Indies needed joint top scores of 43 from captain Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle to get up to their eventual total.
They were tottering on 28 for three in the seventh over but the pair stitched up the innings in a 63-run fourth wicket stand to repair the damage.
Hayley Matthews was adjudged lbw to the first ball of the game from seamer Diana Baig (2-19), with subsequent replays showing the delivery missing leg stump.
Her opening partner Lee-Ann Kirby clobbered three fours in an 11-ball 16 before slicing Baig to point in the fifth over and Deandra Dottin spent 10 balls over one before holing out to long on off veteran off-spinner Nida Dar (2-30).
Both Campbelle and Taylor struck a couple of fours and sixes as they consolidated for West Indies but after only reaching 44 for three at the half-way stage of the innings, the pressure eventually told.
Campbelle perished lbw in the 17th over, missing a reverse sweep at left-arm spinner Anam Amin and being given out on referral while Taylor followed in the penultimate over, holing out on the mid-wicket ropes off Nida Dar. In reply, Pakistan started strongly with Javeria Khan and Muneeba Ali posting 58 from 44 deliveries for the first wicket, capitalising on ordinary bowling to rack up 48 runs in the first power-play.
Javeria struck six fours before she was hit in front to Taylor’s off-spin in the eighth over and left-hander Muneeba followed in the 12th after counting three fours, chipping a simple catch to cover off leg-spinner Afy Fletcher. But any hopes of a comeback were dashed as Bismah and Nida Dar added a crucial 50 in an unbroken third wicket stand to see off the Windies challenge.
Bismah carried the fight with in a measured knock and drilled Taylor to the cover boundary for the last of her four fours to bring up victory for Pakistan.
