Published: Jul 08, 2017, 09:51 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 08, 2017, 09:54 PM (IST)
After bowling Pakistan out for a paltry score of 144, the New Zealand women chased down the target with utmost ease as they won the match by 8 wickets. Sophie Devine was their star performer as she smashed a 41-ball 93 and along with Amy Satterthwaite stitched a match-winning partnership of 131 runs to guide White Ferns to a comprehensive win. The startling fact about New Zealand’s innings was that they chased down the target in just 15 overs.
Pakistan, who chose to bat first, after winning the toss, got off to a steady start as their openers added 35 runs for the first wicket. However, once they lost the wicket of Ayesha Zafar, their innings just fell apart. Off-spinner Leigh Kasperek, who picked up the wicket of Zafar, also got rid of Marina Iqbal in her very next over.
Suzie Bates then brought Hannah Rowe into the attack. The right-arm medium pacer, who was playing her first World Cup match, inflicted a double blow to Pakistan camp in her second over as she got both, Javeria Khan and Nain Abidi, plumb in front. The pressure maintained by the New Zealand bowlers resulted in Pakistan able to score only 54 runs in 15 overs. Their troubles only multiplied as they lost another wicket, that of Nahida Khan, in the very next over and were now reeling at 56 for 5.
Pakistan were in desperate need of a partnership at this stage and the same was provided by skipper Sana Mir and Iram Javed, who added 28 runs for the 6th wicket. Pakistan would have liked the partnership to continue for a few more overs, but it wasn’t to be. It was Lea Tahuhu, who broke the partnership by getting Javed clean bowled.
Apart from Sana Mir, who batted like a lone warrior and scored a valiant fifty, none of the other batswoman could offer any sort of resistance against the New Zealand bowling attack. As a result of this, the Pakistan team got bundled out for 144 in 46.5 overs.
The target was an easy one and even though New Zealand lost the wicket of Rachel Priest very early on in their innings, it didn’t cause any difficulty for them to chase it down. Sophie Devine was at her destructive best as she came out all guns blazing and smashed the bowlers all over the park. From the other end, Satterthwaite also played some lovely shots and got herself going. Pakistan had an opportunity to get Satterthwaite back in the pavilion, but the chance went begging as she was dropped of the bowling of Mir.
Even if that chance would have been taken, it would not have made much difference because it was Devine, who was doing most of the damage. The right-hander batter treated both the seamers as well as the spinners in a similar manner and every time the ball was in her slot, she smashed it out of the park. She brought up her fifty in just 27 balls and she was not done yet.
In the 11th over, Devine thrashed Marina Iqbal for 3 huge sixes and a boundary and by smashing the third six, she also registered the record for hitting the most number of sixes in a Women’s ODI. None of the Pakistan bowlers had any answer to stop this assault as they looked hapless against Devine and her amazing hitting prowess. Although she got out in the15th over, which also turned out to be the last over of the match, her 41-ball 93 had ensured New Zealand’s victory way back.
Sophie Devine was a strong candidate for the Man of the Match award, but it was given to Hannah Rowe, who picked up 3 wickets for 22.
Brief scores:
Pakistan Women 144 all out in 46.5 overs (Sana Mir 50, Nahida Khan 18; Hannah Rowe 3 for 22 ) lost to New Zealand Women 147 for 2 in 15 overs (Sophie Devine 93, Amy Satterthwaite 38*; Diana Baig 1 for 28) by 8 wickets
Player of the Match: Hannah Rowe
