West Indies spinners keep Pakistan in check before another sensational day at the office for skipper Hayley Matthews gives the visitors another comprehensive 8-wicket victory.
The Pakistan women’s team led by skipper Nida Dar managed to get a maiden victory under their belt in their home series against the West Indies. Sadia Iqbal (4-0-18-3) was awarded the Player of the Match for her sensational spell with the ball in the 4th T20I.
The West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews won the toss and opted to field first. After being inserted to bat first, the Pakistan openers Ayesha Zafar and Sidra Amin got off to a good start, scoring at almost 8 runs an over. Qiana Joseph cleaned up Ayesha Zafar to provide the first breakthrough for the West Indies. Muneeba Ali joined Sidra Amin at the crease and the duo stitched a crucial 46-run partnership for the 2nd wicket before Afy Fletcher cleaned up Muneeba Ali to provide the 2nd breakthrough for her side.
Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals and the home side was restricted to 134/8 in their quota of overs. They lost their last six wickets for just 50 runs.
Sidra Amin (48 off 52 balls), Muneeba Ali (25 off 19 balls), Ayesha Zafar (22 off 16 balls), and Rameen Shamim (16 off 11 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Pakistan. Afy Fletcher (4-0-17-3), Quiana Joseph (4-0-26-2), and skipper Hayley Matthews (4-0-24-1) were the top performers with the ball for the West Indies.
Chasing a target of 135, the West Indies openers Rashada Williams and skipper Hayley Matthews got off to a steady start. The left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal picked up the wicket of Rashada Williams to provide the first breakthrough for Pakistan. Wicket-keeper batter Shemaine Campbelle joined skipper Hayley Matthews at the crease and the duo stitched a massive 103-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, taking the visitors on the brink of victory.
Nashra Sandhu picked up the big wicket of the opposition skipper Hayley Matthews, but not before the damage was already inflicted on the home side. Skipper Hayley Matthews (78 off 59 balls), wicket-keeper batter Shemaine Campbelle (33 off 35 balls), and Rashada Williams (16 off 11 balls) were the top performers with the bat for the West Indies. Rameen Shamim (4-1-22-0), Sadia Iqbal (4-0-24-1), and Nashra Sandhu (4-0-28-1) were the top performers with the ball for Pakistan.
Skipper Hayley Matthews was awarded the Player of the Match for her sensational all-round performance, returning with match figures (4-0-24-1) with the ball and scoring (78 off 59 balls) with the bat. She once again played a crucial role in helping her side get over the line, as it has been the story throughout the whiteball series against Pakistan. She was also awarded the Player of the Series for her exceptional performance, scoring 205 runs with the bat and picking up seven wickets with the ball in the T20I series, playing a pivotal role in West Indies’ 4-1 triumph in the T20I format.
The West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews has now won three back-to-back Player of the Series awards in a bilateral series. Her juggernaut started in July 2023 in a three-match T20I series against Ireland, she followed that up in an away series against Australia in October 2023. Interestingly, despite West Indies ending up on the losing side she was named the Player of the Series for her blockbuster performances in the series.