The opening day of National Women’s T20 Tournament2023-24 saw action unfold at three venues across Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Quetta edged over Karachi in a final-over finish at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, registering a win by six wickets. At Ayub Park Ground, Lahore dominated over Multan with a 10-wicket win after the latter were bowled out for 69. Rawalpindi cruised to a comfortable victory by seven wickets against Peshawar at the Diamond Club Ground.
Quetta v Karachi at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi:
Karachi posted 119-6 in 20 overs after being invited to bat first by Quetta’s captain Saima Malik. The match which was live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel saw Anam Amin struck in the first over to take out Muneeba Ali for a second-ball duck. Then, right-arm pacer Khairun Nisa removed Yusra Amir on the last ball of the second over. In her subsequent over, she bowled a double wicket maiden to reduce Karachi to nine for four in four overs.
Javeria Khan stitched two important partnerships to bring a semblance of stability in the innings; a 31-run sixth-wicket stand with her captain Rameen Shamim followed by an unbeaten 60-run stand with Maham Tariq. Javeria’s unbeaten half-century (74, 57b, 11x4s) allowed Karachi to get to a fighting total.
In turn, Rameen ran out opening batter Dua Majid, who walked back for a duck in the second over. The next batter in, Khadija Chishti (8, 15b), also fell to Rameen in the eighth over after building a 35-run partnership with Fareeha Mahmood. Fareeha went on to score a half-century (63, 61b, 10x4s) before she was dismissed by Maham. Jannat Rashid (10, 24b, 1×4) fell to Maham Manzoor as troubled deepened for Quetta. Tuba Hassan (34, 17b, 3x4s, 2x6s), the fifth batter in, salvaged the game for Quetta. She hit a four and a six in the final over to take Quetta over the line.
Multan v Lahore at Ayub Park Ground, Rawalpindi:
Multan’s decision to bat first backfired as they were bowled out for a measly 69 in 19.1 overs. Opening batters Gull Feroza and Aleena Masood went out cheaply to bring the team down to six for two in 1.2 overs. The third batter in, Gull Rukh, could only manage 14 from 22 including three boundaries, before she fell to left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu.
Multan’s captain Umm-e-Hani, who hit 20 off 29 including two fours, was the top-scorer of the innings. Saiqa Riaz (14 not out, 21b, 1×4) was the other contributor with the bat.
Leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima was the most successful bowler for Lahore, bagging three wickets for 13 runs. Nashra bowled an outstanding spell; accounting for two wickets at the expense of just one run in 3.1 overs. Noreen Yaqoob, Fatima Khan and Areesha Noor bagged a wicket each.
In return, Lahore cruised to the target in just 8.4 overs and 10 wickets in the bag. Sadaf Shams scored an unbeaten 35 from 30, including seven fours. She was supported by Sidra Amin, who hit 31 off 22, showcasing five boundaries and a maximum.
Peshawar v Rawalpindi Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad:
After being put to bat first, Peshawar was bowled out for 51 in 12 overs in the first innings, courtesy of a dominating performance by the Rawalpindi bowling attack. Raahima Syed (13, 16b, 2x4s) and captain Aleena Shah (13, 17b, 3x4s) were the top run-getters for Peshawar.
Rawalpindi’s Tania Saeed accounted for three wickets for just four runs. She was supported by Waheeda Akhtar and Aliya Riaz, who grabbed two wickets each. FatimaShah and Aima Saleem also had one each to their names.
Rawalpindi achieved the target in 6.2 overs, losing three wickets in process. Aliya played a captain’s innings, hitting 23 from 13, including four boundaries and a six. Natalia Parvaiz (10 not out, 9b, 1×4) was the other contributor with the bat, as Rawalpindi got over the line. Momina Riyasat and Tehzeeb Shah were the two wicket-takers for Peshawar, ending with a wicket each.
All six teams will feature in second round matches tomorrow. The first ball will be bowled at 11am. The match between Peshawar and Karachi at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium will be live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel.
