Photo Credit: ICC
After 13 years, Pakistan’s unwanted record came to an end as they defeated the West Indies for their first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup victory since 2009.
The eight-wicket win was comprehensive, Nida Dar starring with the ball before Muneeba Ali delivered with the bat as an 18-match losing streak at World Cups came to an end.
Nida was yet to make her debut for Pakistan when they last won a World Cup match – her bow came the following year – while Muneeba was not even a teenager on 14 March 2009.
Someone who was in their teenage years at the time was current Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof, the only remaining player from that victorious side.
Another constant was the opponent, with the Windies also on the losing side 13 years ago – when they fielded a side containing five players who also took to the field in Hamilton.
That victory in Sydney in 2009 marked the only time Pakistan would finish off the bottom of the table across the four World Cups they have played, ending in fifth.
But now they have a chance to avoid the wooden spoon again as they become the last of the eight teams to earn a win at the 2022 edition.
Thirteen years ago, Deandra Dottin scored at a strike rate over 70 before being dismissed in the twenties, and today in Hamilton she would do it again.
This time, however, she did it opening the batting and her 27 proved to be the highest score of the innings as the Windies were stifled by Pakistan in a rain-reduced 20-over game.
Batting above her in the batting order all those years ago was Afy Fletcher, who today came in at eight, but made 12 runs again.
Today her 12 from seven balls helped the West Indies finish with a flourish, while back in 2009 she ate up 44 balls as the West Indies ended their 50 overs on 132 for nine.
Still there at the end of that innings were Anisa Mohammed and Shakera Selman, and it would be Selman at the death for the West Indies in New Zealand, although this time in her usual role as seam bowler.
Omaima hit the one run needed for victory off the penultimate delivery of Selman’s final over, and the first person to embrace her as the win was sealed was batting partner Bismah.
Back in 2009, the 17-year-old Bismah struggled at the top of the order as Pakistan looked to chase down the modest total of 133.
She was dismissed by Selman for seven from 17 balls on that occasion but the experienced captain would not make the same mistake this time.
Her arrival to the crease came as Sidra Amin was bowled by Fletcher for eight, as the leg-spinner brought out her celebration in tribute to her son.
But Fletcher would not win the battle of the mothers as Bismah made 20 not out from 29 deliveries, leading Pakistan’s run chase by calmly rotating the strike and only taking on balls that deserved to be dispatched.
In 2009, the win would unknowingly be their last at a World Cup for over a decade but Bismah is hoping to lead her side on to more immediate success this time.
She said: “We wanted to win that badly. We were doing well but could not cross the line. Credit to the girls, we’ll look to go onwards and upwards.
“We wanted this win, we were making small mistakes in finishing moments but will take this momentum forward.”
Bismah:
We played ball by ball and to our processes. We just picked up balls we could hit, Muneeba played really well and gave us some momentum and Omaima Sohail was brilliant today.
Taylor: We were looking at 125, that’s what Hayley and Dottin were talking about. Once I got in, I realised 110/115 would have been a good target but somehow we couldn’t get to there.
When you look at the way we played against Bangladesh, the spinners choked us a bit and we couldn’t rotate the strike. The same thing happened today. All we had to do was rotate the strike and know that we could go big to get ourselves going but we couldn’t turn over the strike.
They bowled well. Not to take anything away from them, Nida Dar was fantastic and … conceded six in her four overs. They did their homework and played really well.
We haven’t played our best cricket so far so I’m really hoping that’s the one we do.
