Dar’s fifty goes in vain as Barbados hand Pakistan crushing defeat in CWG

BIRMINGHAM: Captain Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight starred as the Barbados women defeated the Pakistan women by 15 runs in their opening match of the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Set to chase 145, Pakistan fell 15 runs short as the Greenshirts could only score 129/6 in the allotted 20 overs despite a brilliant half-century from Nida Dar.

The Green Shirts found themselves in trouble early on in the race chase as the team lost four wickets with a combined score of 49 in the 11th, with captain Bismah Maroof being the latest casualty, battling for her 12 of 28 deliveries.

Dar was the exception in the dismal batting spectacle displayed by Pakistan as he scored an unbeaten 50 at a rapid pace; he faced just 31 deliveries and broke eight limits, including a six.

However, another all-rounder from Pakistan, Aliya Riaz, also found it difficult to keep going as she was only able to score 14 out of 24 deliveries.

Following a higher order miss and snail’s pace strikes from Bismah and Aliya, Pakistan fell within 15 runs of the target as Dar’s valiant effort was wasted.

For Barbados, Shamilia Connell, Aaliyah Alleyne, Matthews and Deandra Dottin each did one scalp.

Batting first, Barbados finished with a commendable 144/4 in the allotted 20 overs, thanks to significant half centuries from Matthews and Knight.

The start of the Barbados innings continued to be rejected as the team lost their starter Dottin by a combined score of just nine in the first over, who was only able to score eight from five deliveries.

After initial problems, Matthews and Knight defended their team and put Barbados in command with a superb partnership of 107 runs to the second wicket as they both scored fifty.

Matthews lost his way in the 18th, shortly after reaching his half-century and went 51-for-50, laced with four bounds and a six. Knight, on the other hand, was the team’s leading scorer with an unbeaten 62 in 56 deliveries with the help of nine caps.

Apart from the dynamic duo, no other Barbados batsman was able to score in double figures, while 14 runs came in as extras.

For Pakistan, Fatima Sana bagged two wickets but remained expensive, while Diana Baig struck out a batsman.

READ: Swiatek beats Lee to reach Warsaw quarterfinals