Fatima shines as Pakistan Women win final ODI

NORTH SOUND (Antigua): An all-round performance from 19-year-old Fatima Sana helped Pakistan national women’s team record their second consecutive win as they defeated the hosts by 22 runs (DLS method) in the fifth and final One-day International at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Sunday.

With the West Indies Women winning the first three matches, the Stafanie Taylor-led side won the series 3-2.

Chasing 194 for win, West Indies were bowled out for 171 on the last ball of the match with right-arm pacer Fatima claiming 5-39 in seven overs which earned her second player-of-the-match award on the trot.

Fatima accounted for Deandra Dottin (37 off 47 balls) and Britney Cooper (40 off 53) in her first spell, before getting Rashada Williams (5), Chinelle Henry (14) and Anisa Mohammed (0) in the final over of the game to record the best ODI haul by a Pakistani in nearly eight years.

Fatima, the recipient of the PCB Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2020 award, finished the series with 11 wickets. Her figures of 4-30 in the previous ODI not only helped her side to a four-wicket win over the home side.

Earlier, it was a sparkling 19-ball 28 not out by Fatima that helped Pakistan post 190 8 in 34 overs after West Indies captain Taylor elected to bowl after winning the toss. The target was revised to 194 as Pakistan lost two overs in between their innings due to a rain-interruption after the match was curtailed to 36 overs per innings as the start of the match was delayed by two hours and 40 minutes because of early morning showers.

Fatima smashed four fours that helped Pakistan plunder 40 off the last five overs.

Wicket-keeper/batter Muneeba Ali scored 39 off 59 at the top of the order, hitting five fours, as she stitched a 41-run opening stand with Sidra Amin (13).

Omaima Sohail, coming into the match with two successive half-centuries, pushed the opposition bowlers on the back foot after they had picked up two wickets — Sidra and skipper Javeria Khan.

Omaima fell 16 runs short of what could have been her third ODI half-century on the trot, but not before adding 34 more runs with Kainat Imtiaz, who made 21 off 24. Omaima scored 37-ball 34, which included three fours.

Ayesha Naseem, the 16-year-old Abbottabad-born batter, smashed the only six of the innings in her 14-ball 16 before being dismissed by Shabika Gajnabi, who returned figures of 2-26.

Chinelle Henry and Anisa were the other two bowlers to pick up two wickets each.

Scores in brief:

PAKISTAN WOMEN 190-8 in 34 overs (Muneeba Ali 39, Omaima Sohail 34, Fatima Sana 28 not out, Kainat Imtiaz 21; Shabika Gajnabi 2-26, Chinelle Henry 2-37, Anisa Mohammed 2-39); WEST INDIES WOMEN 171 in 34 overs (Britney Cooper 40, Deandra Dottin 37; Fatima Sana 5-39, Diana Baig 2-32).

Player of the match — Fatima Sana (Pakistan).