Barbados Beat Pakistan To Register First Win At Commonwealth Games 2022, Hayley Matthews’ all-around performance, and a half-century for Kissia Knight put the Caribbean representatives in a great position.
Beat Pakistan by 15 runs at Edgbaston:-
Barbados is off the mark at the 2022 Commonwealth Games after convincing Nida Dar’s figure back to beat Pakistan by 15 runs at Edgbaston before Nida Dar’s late bout threatened to spoil the party.
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Captain Hayley Matthews delivered an all-around performance, scoring a half-century and taking four wickets, while Kissia Knight (62) top-scored with the bat.
Dar, guilty of running out two of his teammates, redeemed himself with a 50 (31 balls) but could not see his side over the line.
An explosive start is expected from Mathews:-
After being sent to bat by Pakistan, Barbados were expecting an explosive start from Deandra Dottin and Mathews but found themselves one wicket down five balls later after being caught in the east by Bismah Maroof off Diana Baig.
Mathews saved a runout chance in the eighth over, diving for his life at the non-striker’s end after Muneeba Ali was struck by lightning, and what a crucial dive it proved to be.
Barbados got to work for their runs, with spinner Anam Amin (0 for 24) being particularly impressive with the ball.
But skipper Mathews and wicketkeeper Kycia Knight put on a productive partnership for the second wicket, scoring 107 off 98 balls. Triple-figures.
Mathews reached his half-century off 47 balls in the 17th over but was dropped on the first ball of the next over (caught by Ali, bowled by Fatima Sana) just as Barbados would have been hoping for.
Kycia Knight kept up the Pressure:-
Fortunately, Kycia Knight kept the pressure up, adding 18 runs with twin sister Kishona Knight and another 10 with Aaliyah Allene to take her side to 144 for 4.
The wicketkeeper played an unbeaten 62 off 56 balls, his first T20I half-century since September 2012.
Shamilia Connell then gifted Barbados the perfect start with the ball, removing Iram Javed for a golden duck.
Mathews then took two wickets inside the powerplay, running out Oumaima Sohail in confusing circumstances, with both the LBW call and the runout being sent up for review. Pakistan took 17 wickets for 2 wickets in three overs.
By the halfway point, the scoreboard was reduced to 48 for 3. Ali in the ninth over with 17 (bowling Matthew), and Maroof scoring 12 off 25.
who was run out after four balls:-
Things only getting worse for the Pakistan captain, who was running out four balls later. When Dar was once again caught looking at the ball at the non-striker’s end.
Pakistan’s No. 5 recovered well from her errors, which included dismissing Connell for 20 in the same over.
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Thanks to the extra effort from Barbados’ bowlers, the chase was mathematically alive in the last six balls.
However, despite a six from Ayesha Naseem, Pakistan could manage only 11 runs in the final over. And were miraculously holding back from making a comeback. Naseem was dismissing on the last ball. And his team was reducing to six wickets for 129 runs.
