KARACHI, Pakistan, CMC – A blistering half-century from Nida Dar and a three-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Anam Amin ensured that Pakistan avoided a whitewash by winning the third and final Twenty20 International against the West Indies at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium here yesterday.
Dar’s knock of 53 from 40 balls helped propel the home side to their highest total of the three-match series, finishing on 150 for six from their 20 overs.
Amin then claimed three scalps, including that of Windies’ danger batter Deandra Dottin, to restrict the visitors to 138 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.
The West Indies entered the match already assured of clinching the series after winning the first two matches.
Karishma Ramharack’s double strike had initially put Pakistan on the backfoot. She accounted for the wickets of opener Umaima Sohail (28) and Iram Javed for seven to reduce them to 80 for four in the 13th over.
But a 67-run partnership between Dar and Aliyah Riaz in seven overs wrestled the initiative away from the West Indies.
While Riaz was more reserved, Dar was aggressive, smashing five boundaries and two sixes.
By the time Dar was eventually dismissed with three balls left in the innings, Pakistan was only three runs short of the 150-mark.
Unlike the previous matches, West Indies’ batters never fired, with only Deandra Dottin and Natasha McClean putting up any form of resistance.
Their run chase got off to a horrible start with Kycia Knight being stumped off the second ball of the innings bowled by Amin, without a run on the board.
Shemaine Campbelle didn’t la
st too long either, as she was bowled by Sana Mir for nine, as the Windies stumbled to 24 for two.
Dottin breathed some air back into the chase with a scintillating 46 from 29 balls. Her knock contained three boundaries and four sixes.
However, once Amin got rid of Dottin to make it 68 for three, the rest of the batters faltered, as they lost their final four wickets for 21 runs.
Amin was the pick of Pakistan’s bowler, finishing with figures of 3 for 34, while Sana Mir supported with 2 for 21.
