In Queenstown, the Pakistan women’s cricket team secured a 2-1 victory in the three-match T20 series against New Zealand at John Davies Oval on Saturday.
The Green Shirts clinched the first two matches against the Kiwis with wins by seven wickets and 10 runs, respectively, making them the first Asian team to win a T20 series in New Zealand.
Despite losing the third match by just six runs through the DLS method today, the Nida Dar-led side exhibited a strong performance. Batting first in the final clash, Pakistan initiated with a solid opening partnership, reaching 64 runs within 10 overs. The team concluded with a total of 137 runs, losing five wickets. Sidra Ameen was the top scorer for Pakistan with 43 runs, while their captain contributed 25.
New Zealand, already having lost the series, began their chase effectively. Suzie Bates scored an unbeaten 51 off 42 balls, and Amelia Kerr managed to score 35 from 31 balls. The Kiwis had scored 101 runs with a loss of two wickets in 15 overs when the game was prematurely halted due to rain. Following the DLS method, the hosts won the match by six runs.
Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu each took one wicket. Nida Dar, playing her 141st T20 match, became the first player to feature in the most T20 matches for Pakistan, surpassing the previous record held by Bismah Maroof, who played 140 T20 Internationals.
Suzie Bates was named the player of the match, while Fatima Sana received the player of the series award.
The two teams will face each other in the ODI series of the ICC Women’s Championship, with the first match scheduled for December 12 in Queenstown. The remaining two matches will take place on December 15 and 18 in Christchurch.
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