Bismah leads from the front to help Challengers seal T20 title

KARACHI: Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof inspired PCB Challengers to the National Triangular T20 Women’s Champ­ionship title with a six-wicket defeat of PCB Blasters in the floodlight final at the National Stadium here on Thursday night.

Chasing a rather modest target of 129, the Challengers — who are coached by former first-class cricketer Aamir Iqbal — became recipients of the Rs500,000 on offer for the champions by reaching 130-4 with seven deliveries to spare. Bismah played a captains innings by shepherding the chase before finishing unbeaten 53 against her name.

Bismah — who looked in sublime touch as she struck five boundaries during her 45-ball innings — put on 61 for the third wicket with the veteran Nida Dar, who contributed a brisk 30 from 24 balls while sending the ball four times across the boundary line before falling to seamer Natalia Pervez (1-17 in three overs).

Blasters skipper Ramin Shamim grabbed the wickets of opener Ayesha Zafar (11) and Hafsa Khalid (7) to finish with figures of 2-24 in 3.5 overs with her off-spinners, while slow left-armer Anum Amin captured the prized scalp of in-form opener Muneeba Ali — who made only 10 this time — in taking 1-12 in four overs.

Just like Ayesha, Javeria too was stumped by Najiha Alvi for a well-played knock of 43 from only 35 balls and hit five fours and a brace of sixes.

Wicket-keeper/batter Sidra Nawaz scored a 16-ball 20 that included a solitary boundary, while Huraina Sajjad (14), Aliya Riaz (10) and Natalia (13) were the remaining batters to enter double figures.

Off-spinner Saba Nazir caught the eye with excellent analysis of 2-22 in fours; leg-spinner Aroob Shah claimed 1-17 in four tidy overs while pacer Fatima Sana also bowled accurately to take 1-21 in her four overs.

Bismah was later adjudged player-of-the-match, while Muneeba was deservingly declared the player-of-the-tournament for her outstanding run with the bat. The Blasters, on the other hand, received the runners-up cash prize of Rs250,000 from the PCB Women’s Wing head and chief selector Urooj Mumtaz.

Scoreboard

PCB BLASTERS:

Ayesha Nasim st Najiha b Sadia 11

Javeria W. Khan st Najiha b Aroob 43

Javeria Rauf c Hafsa b Sana 5

Huraina Sajjad run out 14

Aliya Riaz c Fatima b Sana 10

Sidra Nawaz lbw b Aiman 20

Natalia Pervez c Sadia b Fatima 13

Maham Tariq not out 7

Ramin Shamim not out 2

EXTRAS (B-1, W-2) 3

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 128

FALL OF WKTS: 1-51, 2-59, 3-60, 4-73, 5-96, 6-110, 7-121.

DID NOT BAT: Anum Amin, Tuba Hasan.

BOWLING: Aiman Anwar 4-0-32-1 (2w); Fatima Sana 4-0-21-1; Sadia Iqbal 3-0-25-1; Nida Dar 1-0-10-0; Aroob Shah 4-1-17-1; Saba Nazir 4-0-22-2.

PCB CHALLENGERS:

Muneeba Ali c Ayesha b Anum 10

Ayesha Zafar c Maham b Ramin 11

Bismah Maroof not out 53

Nida Dar lbw b Natalia 30

Hafsa Khalid c Javeria Khan b Ramin 7

Fatima Sana not out 9

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-8) 10

TOTAL (for four wkts, 18.5 overs) 130

FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-34, 3-95, 4-111.

DID NOT BAT: Najiha Alvi, Aroob Shah, Sana Nazir, Sadia Iqbal. Aiman Anwar.

BOWLING: Anum Amin 4-1-12-1; Maham Tariq 2-0-21-0(1w); Ayesha Nasim 1-0-10-0(2w); Ramin Shamim 3.5-0-24-2; Tuba Hasan 2-0-18-0(1w); Natalia Pervez 3-0-17-1(2w); Aliya Riaz 3-0-26-0 (1w).

RESULT: PCB Challengers won by six wickets.

UMPIRES: Khalid Mahmood and Imtiaz Iqbal.

MATCH REFEREE: Iftikhar Ahmed.

OFFICIAL SCORER: Salman Hussain Kazmi.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Bismah Maroof.

PLAYER-OF-THE-TOURNAMENT: Muneeba Ali.