New Zealand demolish Pakistan to knock them out of world cup

DUBAI: New Zealand thrashed Pakistan on Monday to knock them out of the Women’s T20 World Cup and secure their own place in the semi-finals.

The odds were stacked against the women in green after New Zealand scored 110 runs, while Pakistan only took six wickets.

PITIFUL FIELDING

Pakistan had a fair amount of chances to hold New Zealand down to a lower score, but unfortunately the team dropped a slew of catches.

Five dropped chances came from Nida Dar’s overs alone, the first of which came in the fifth over after Muneeba Ali failed to hang on to a ball deflected to her. Pakistan failed to capitalise on another chance in the very next over, after a delivery from Omaima Sohail was sent straight to Sandhu at mid-wicket by a flick of the bat from Bates.

Sandhu would get a wicket in the seventh over when Fatima Sana took the catch on a delivery that Georgia Plimmer hit too high. But Pakistan would once again fail to gain momentum in the eight, after Sohail botched a catch that could have dismissed Amelia Kerr.

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The worst show of fielding came in the final over, as skipper Fatima Sana added to Nida Dar’s misery, dropping two catches. Another chance was dropped on the penultimate ball. Dar got a wicket on the final ball of the innings, after Fatima Sana finally held on to a catch.

Pakistan dropped eight catches in total that could have skewed the game in their favour.

A HECTIC CHASE

With the competition so close to each other, Pakistan knew they had to reach the total within 11 overs, in order to have a net run rate good enough to qualify for the semi-finals. Thus, they came out swinging and were quickly dealt with.

Eden Carson would get a wicket in the second over after Sophie Devine showed Pakistan how to take a catch, dismissing Aliya Riaz on the third ball she faced for zero runs. Another wicket would fall in the third over, as Lea Tahuhu bowled Muneeba Ali. Fran Jonas would strike next, sending Sadaf Shamas off the pitch as Jonas’ delivery went past the inside edge of Shamas’ bat and into the stumps.

Sidra Amin would be dismissed in the sixth over by Rosemary Mair as her Yorker smashed into the stumps. Amelia Kerr would get the first of three wickets after Dar was stumped by wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze. Carson would interrupt Kerr’s dominance, getting her second wicket in the eleventh over, sending Sohail off after she lobbed the ball straight back to Carson.

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Kerr would finish things off with two wickets in the twelfth over. A pair of catches by Bates would dismiss Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal, ending Pakistan’s hopes of advancing once and for all.

India were also knocked out of the tournament, as they needed Pakistan to win, albeit in a slow manner, in order to qualify ahead of the women in green and take the second spot in Group A beneath Australia.