Pakistan Women A complete West Indies tour with 100% win record

LAHORE: Pakistan women’s A team finished off their tour of the West Indies with a 100 percent win record when they defeated their West Indian counterparts by seven wickets in the third and final one-dayer at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Friday.

This was their sixth straight win. They completed a 3-0 50-overs series sweep after winning all three T20s earlier in the tour.

Aliya Riaz’s half-century helped the tourists overhaul the 205-run target in 42.2 overs. She smashed unbeaten 63 off 78. Her knock was studded with eight fours. Her innings included an unbeaten 89-run partnership with captain Sidra Nawaz, who returned undefeated on 28 off 43, hitting two fours.

The impetus for the comfortable run chase was provided by a solid 66-run partnership for the first wicket between Jaweria Rauf and Ayesha Zafar.

Jaweria, who finished the series as the highest run-getter with 137 runs at an average of 68.50, scored 43 off 70, hitting four fours.

Her alliance with Ayesha, who smashed seven fours in her 36 off 44, came to an end in the 13th over when the latter was dismissed by Sheneta Grimmond.

Jaweria followed her back in the hut in the 26th over after getting dismissed by Karishma Ramharack.

Pakistan had bowled out West Indies for 204 with 2.1 overs remaining. Aimen Anwar and Saba Nazir took three wickets each after Sidra’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss. Right-arm medium-fast Aimen provided Pakistan their first breakthrough with the dismissal of Reniece Boyce on the first ball of the fifth over that ended her 31-run opening partnership with Rachel Vincent.

Right-arm pacer Natalia Pervaiz, who came on as the first change, sent Vincent back in the hut in the 10th over as the hosts slipped to 45 for two. However, a 53-run stand between Ziada James and Qiana Joseph, who top-scored with 56-ball 48 including eight fours, put West Indies back in the match.

As the partnership started to look threatening, off-spinner Saba Nazir removed James and Joseph in the 21st and 23rd overs. She later removed Cherry-Ann Fraser to finish with three four 53 from 10 overs.