Summary Green Shirts will now face Sri Lanka Women in the semi-final
DUBAI – Pakistan Women secured their place in the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup with a commanding 72-run victory over Hong Kong Women in a one-sided contest in Dubai on Monday.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first in the 11th match of the tournament, posting 143 for eight in their allotted 20 overs. Shawaal Zulfiqar top-scored for Pakistan with a valuable 47, while Ayesha Zafar contributed 26 and Fatima Sana added 24.
Hong Kong’s Julien Corne was the pick of their bowlers, claiming four wickets, while Iqra Sahar and Kary Chan took two wickets apiece.
Chasing 144 for victory, Hong Kong struggled against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack and were bowled out for just 71 runs.
Spinner Nashra Sandhu produced a sensational spell, claiming six wickets for only seven runs to dismantle the Hong Kong batting line-up and play a decisive role in Pakistan’s emphatic victory.
Sandhu’s remarkable figures also saw her create a new Pakistan record in women’s T20 cricket, becoming the country’s leading wicket-taker in a single innings.
Her match-winning performance earned her the Player of the Match award.
Kary Chan was Hong Kong’s leading scorer with 30 runs, but she received little support from the rest of the batting order as Pakistan’s bowlers kept the pressure on throughout the chase.
Hong Kong lost wickets at regular intervals and never looked capable of mounting a serious challenge to Pakistan’s total.
The 72-run victory gave Pakistan a strong finish to the group stage and confirmed their place in the last four of the tournament.
Pakistan Women will now face Sri Lanka Women in the semi-final, with a place in the tournament final at stake.
