Pakistan women cricket team defeated Bangladesh by 14 runs in the first T20I played here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. This was also Pakistan women's fourth win in six T20Is at home. Batting first, Pakistan cricket team scored 126 for 7 (Maroof 34, Sohail 33, Alam 4-17). In reply, Bangladesh women team could score 112 for 7 (Rumana 50, Amin 2-13) in the 20 overs.

Bangladesh women's senior seamer Jahanara Alam took four wickets and all-rounder Rumana Ahmed struck her maiden T20I fifty, but it couldn't help visitor from securing victory.

In pursuit of 127, Bangladesh women had lost both their openers inside the third over and slumped further to 47 for 2 in 12 overs. Rumana counterattacked and was particularly severe on Maroof, taking 23 off a mere seven balls from the Pakistan women captain. Rumana took the chase to the last over, leaving her side needing 18 with four wickets in hand.

However, she was bowled by Aliya Riaz off the third ball, as Bangladesh women eventually lost by 14 runs. Riaz ended with economical figures of 4-0-12-1. Left-arm finger spinner Sadia Iqbal returned figures of similar impact on T20I debut: 1 for 16.

Earlier, having opted to bat, Pakistan women lost both their openers cheaply to Alam, but Maroof and Sohail put on 60 off 59 balls to revive the innings. Although both batsmen fell in successive overs, lower-order contributions from Iram Javed (21 off 17 balls) and wicketkeeper Sidra Nawaz (16* off 4 balls) took the hosts to 126. It proved to be enough as Pakistan women claimed a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019