Pakistan crush Bangladesh by 7 wickets to remain unbeaten in ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier
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The Pakistan women’s cricket team defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier at Lahore on Saturday to remain unbeaten in the tournament.
Chasing a target of 179 runs, Pakistan displayed solid batting prowess, achieving the target in the 40th over while losing only three wickets.
The victory was anchored by opener Muneeba Ali, who played a fluent knock of 69 runs, and Sidra Ameen, who contributed a steady 37 runs at the top of the order.
The finishing touches were provided by experienced all-rounder Aliya Riaz, who remained unbeaten on 52, guiding her team to a comfortable win.
Pakistan had already booked their spot for the World Cup to be held later this year in India.
Earlier in the match, Bangladesh opted to bat first and posted a total of 178 runs for the loss of nine wickets.
The Pakistani bowlers maintained tight control throughout the innings.
Bangladesh got off to a rocky start when they lost their openers for low scores courtesy of Pakistan captain Fatima Sana and spinner Sadia Iqbal.
Fargana Hoque fell for a seven-ball duck as Fatima got her with a ball that came in after pitching.
Bangladesh were 21-3 at one stage after they lost captain Nigar Sultana to Fatima.
Bangladesh’s Ritu Moni and Fahima Khatun were the mainstays for their side, both scoring 40+ scores to rescue from a precarious situation at one stage in the innings.
Sadia Iqbal was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, getting three wickets for 28 off her 10 overs with her willy left-arm spin.
After Pakistan lost opener Shawaal Zulfiqar on just the second ball of the innings, Muneeba Ali starred with the bat again for Pakistan, setting up the chase with an innings of 69 runs.
The southpaw opener hit eight sublime boundaries during her stay at the crease and ensured Bangladesh never made inroads into the middle order.
The veteran Sidra Amin chipped in with another substantial innings of 37, following up on her 80 in the last match.
Player of the match in the encounter against Scotland, the big hitting Aliya Riaz was the batter that took the Green Team home.
She remained unbeaten on 42, hitting the winning runs for the hosts as they ended the tournament with a perfect scoreline of five wins and zero losses.
With this win, Pakistan not only defeated a strong Bangladeshi side but also maintained their unbeaten streak in the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, boosting confidence ahead of the main event.