Pakistan team pose with the winners trophy after beating South Africa in the final of the Twenty20 tri-series of the Qatar International Women’s Cricket Championship yesterday. Pictures: Jayan Orma
By Sports Reporter/Doha
Pakistan women took a sweet revenge when they defeated South Africa by seven wickets to clinch the Twenty20 tri-series of the Qatar International Women’s Cricket Championship, yesterday.
Exactly a week after they lost the 50-over final to the same team, after having dominated the league stages, the Pakistanis came out firing on all cylinders at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium here.
In front of decent weekend crowd, Pakistan put in an all-round show to cruise to a comfortable victory. It also helped them that skipper Sana Mir won the toss on a pitch, which has been conducive for the team bowling first.
Mir’s decision proved correct as South Africa were restricted to 68 for nine in the stipulated 20 overs. In reply, player of the match Javeria Khan led the run chase with an aggressive 38 as Pakistan won with 23 balls to spare.
Pakistan got off to a dream start with the ball. South Africa opener Lizelle Lee had been in fine form going into the title clash, with back-to-back half-centuries. However, to South African’s dismay she was out first ball, bowled by pacer Asmavia Iqbal.
That early wicket set the trend for the rest of South Africa’s innings. They did not help their cause with four run-outs, which broke the backbone of their middle-order. If not for a 48-ball 40 from Marizanne Kapp they would have been subjected to even more humiliating defeat.
After Kapp, the second-highest score in the innings was Sunette Loubser with 8. Iqbal and pacer Sania Khan picked up two wickets apiece, while other bowlers gave away nothing.
Pakistan’s chase was guided by opener Khan, who scored 38 off 46 balls with three fours. The side lost three wickets in their chase, but the target of 69 was hardly demanding and Pakistan went past it with nearly four overs to spare.
Nain Abidi was the first casualty as she was stumped off Loubser for four in the fifth over. Nida Dar was dismissed in the ninth over with skipper Mignon du Preez running her out for 11.
However, Khan accumulated runs quickly and brought her team to the doorstep of victory, before she lost her wicket to Moseline Daniels. It was left to Bismah Maroof (14) and Nahida Khan (2) to take Pakistan home.
Pakistan skipper Mir was understandably delighted with the triumph. “After that loss in 50-over final, this was a wonderful effort from the team. We are glad that preparations are on right track ahead of the T20 World Cup,” she said.
With the tournament held mainly as a preparatory exercise for the T20 World Cup to be held in Bangladesh in May, Mir felt her team had achieved the goal they had set out for.
It also helped them that they played against South Africa and Ireland, who incidentally are in the same group as Pakistanis at the World Cup. “We three teams (South Africa and Ireland) are in the same group at the World Cup. Having played them here, we know what to expect from them in the future,” Mir said.
The skipper was also delighted to play in front of a reasonable turn-out. “We have never played in front of such a large crowd. So it was overwhelming experience for us,” she noted.
South African skipper Mignon du Preez though disappointed with the result was happy with the workout her team got. “We were playing in the sub-continent conditions so it was a good experience for us.
“We have learn’t a lot over the last two weeks and we will look to capitalise on that experience when we play in the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. We had a bad day at the office today. We didn’t put on the runs needed to have a competitive enough game and we disappointed ourselves.
“But I’m proud of our team’s efforts throughout this tour here in Doha, we have shown ourselves and many others that we are definitely a team to watch out for in the World T20. Now, it’s time for us to go home and to work out the problem areas that we have discovered here and make sure we are at our peak by the time we reach Bangladesh.”
Preez showered praise on Pakistan for their all-round performance. “It was mostly win the toss bowl first pitch here. Unfortunately, I lost the toss today but it is something which was not in our control. Hats off to Pakistan for playing their game ruthlessly and getting the win,” said the SA skipper.
South African opener Lizelle Lee walked away with the player of the series award, for her 140 runs in five matches.
BRIEF SCORES: South Africa 68 for 9 (M Kapp 40; Asmavia Iqbal 2-14, Sania Khan 2-16) lose to Pakistan 72 for 3 (Javeria Khan 38) by seven wickets
The victorious Pakistan cricket team pose with the trophy along with Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires Malik Mohamed Farooq, South African ambassador to Qatar Saad Cachalia, West End Park chairman Mana Ibrahim al-Mana, Pakistan Cricket Board’s women’s wing representative Bushra Aitzaz, executive director of the PCB-backed Pakistan Super League Syed Bobby Refaie, Qatar Cricket Association general secretary Manzoor Ahmed and other officials at the presentation ceremony yesterday.
