Pakistan won the basement battle against Netherlands in a low-scoring game, with Gull Feroza’s half-century inspiring them to a 37-run win. In a low-scoring contest where momentum ebbed and flowed, Feroza held the first innings together to put on 126 for Pakistan, their joint-hi…
Pakistan won the basement battle against Netherlands in a low-scoring game, with Gull Feroza’s half-century inspiring them to a 37-run win. In a low-scoring contest where momentum ebbed and flowed, Feroza held the first innings together to put on 126 for Pakistan, their joint-highest score this tournament. Netherlands appeared on course initially with a bright start from Heather Siegers, but lost their way dramatically after she was dismissed as Pakistan squeezed them through spin. The last seven wickets fell for just 13 runs, with Fatima Sana returning to the attack to apply the coup de grace, knocking back the stumps three times in the final over to send Netherlands’ last three batters on their way as they folded for 89. Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat, recovering from an uninspiring start thanks to a 79-run second-wicket stand between Feroza and Ayesha Zafar. But the Netherlands hit back through Silver Siegers and Iris Zwilling, the latter arguably the pick of the Netherlands attack. They triggered a Pakistani collapse which saw them lose 5 wickets for 24 runs, including the early loss of Sana, who had promoted herself up to four, her highest T20I batting position. It pegged Pakistan back from what had looked like a score in excess of 140 to one Netherlands genuinely fancied chasing. Heather Siegers breezy start meant it was the Netherlands who looked as if they might pip Pakistan, but there wasn’t much to back her up after Diana Baig sent her on her way. Pakistan’s spinners asphyxiated the Dutch, and as the asking rate ballooned, the Netherlands began to shrink away. It was, in the end, a tame capitulation from a Dutch side that promised so much more for the best part of this game. Feroza stands tall Trying to remain oblivious to the bedlam all around is among Pakistan cricket’s more challenging tasks, but Gull Feroza managed exactly that. With Pakistan managing only a sedate start and suffering the early loss of Muneeba Ali, Feroza put on a 79-run partnership with Ayesha Zafar. She was the more aggressive partner through that second-wicket stand, particularly after the halfway mark.
Gull Feroza lifted Pakistan in the middle overs [Cricinfo]
The attack was launched with a couple of nifty boundaries off Hannah Landheer in the tenth over, and another pair against Heather Siegers in the one that followed. Between the tenth and 14th overs, Pakistan enjoyed their best spell with the bat, smashing 36 in four. Though a collapse would soon follow, they had, thanks to Feroza, built up just about enough of a buffer to give their bowlers breathing space. The review that almost wasn’t Netherlands made an inspired start against South Africa on Thursday, and were aware anything close to that would virtually guarantee victory in pursuit of 127 today. Heather Siegers began threatening just that racing along to 24 in 15 with the side racking up 31 in the first 20 balls. But Diana Baig came back from being smashed for two boundaries off her first two balls strongly, in perhaps the most consequential moment of the match.
Netherlands players applaud the crowd after their match against Pakistan [Cricinfo]
Siegers missed an attempted steer into the onside, and it hit her high on the pad. The umpire was quick to turn down Pakistan’s half-hearted appeal, but Sana reviewed at the last moment, and Hawk-Eye spat out three reds. Netherlands brightest spark was gone, and they never recovered that position of strength in the game again. Pakistan’s spinners overrun Netherlands Once Siegers departed, a thin layer of pressure appeared to descend on the Dutch, one they could never quite shrug off. The following over saw a hare-brained attempt at a single end up in a run-out thanks to a direct hit from Eyman Fatima. A Sana over aside, Pakistan turned almost exclusively to spin, rushing through their overs and watching the asking rate pile up. Nashra Sandhu was most effective at stifling the batters, maintaining a tight line that gave nothing away. She would end up registering figures of 3-0-8-1 through the middle, with the Netherlands managing just 23 in seven overs since Siegers’ dismissal. Scores: Pakistan Women 126 for 6 in 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 12, Gull Feroza 63*, Ayesha Zafar 32; Iris Zwilling 2-19, Heather Siegers 1-28, Hannah Landheer 1-19, Caroline de Lange 1-24, Silve Seigers 1-17) beat Netherlands Women 89 all out in 18 overs (Babette de Leede 30, Steere Kalis 12; Fatima Sana 3-12, Diana Baig 1-11, Nashra Sandhu 1-08, Ayesha Zafar 3-13) by 37 runs [Cricinfo]