Dar helps Blasters end Challengers' winning streak; Dynamites stay winless

Saima Malik’s three-fer and an unbeaten 93 from Nida Dar ended the five-match winning streak of Challengers in the Pakistan Cup One Day tournament on Sunday (September 19). At the Oval Academy Ground, Muneeba Ali’s half-century for Dynamites went in vain as Jaweria Rauf led Strikers to a comfortable victory.



At the National Stadium, Challengers won the toss and opted to bat first. After a sedate start with the bat, the 22-year-old Malik struck to remove the opening pair of Sidra Amin and Fareeha Mehmood. Captain Javeria Khan could only score five runs off 22 balls and became the third victim of Malik. Challengers were not able to find any meaningful partnership throughout the innings and were bowled out for 148. For Blasters, Omaima Sohail chipped in with two wickets.



Blasters lost their openers, Sohail and Nahida Khan early in reply. Captain Sidra Nawaz held the one end with Dar consolidating the innings at the other end, but she was dismissed for six runs off 51 balls. Dar remained unfazed even when wickets were tumbling around her and secured a victory by two wickets over the unbeaten side of the tournament. In her unbeaten 93 off 182 balls, she cleared the fence 13 times. For Challengers, Waheeda Akhtar took three wickets.



Also Read: Muneeba Ali – Pakistan Batter | Beyond The Boundary



At the Oval Academy Ground, Dynamites captain Ali continued her for with bat to notch her third half-century of the tournament after notching a classy hundred in the previous match against Challengers. Ali’s 85 off 178 guided Dynamites to 182 in 48.1 overs as Dynamites could not find support to Ali throughout the innings. Only Syeda Insharah Asad and Nashra Sandhu could pass the 20-run mark as Kainat Imtiaz took three wickets and Fatima Khan chipped in with two wickets to derail the Dynamites batting.



Strikers got the perfect start as Ayesha Zafar hit three fours and a six to reach 24 of 36 balls. After her dismissal, Rauf found a partner in Hafsa Khalid as they put the partnership of 102 runs to dismantle any chances of a comeback from the Dynamites. Rauf remained unbeaten on 88 to register a seven-wicket victory over Dynamites.



Strikers and Dynamites will face each other in the third-place play-off and Blasters and Challengers will lock horns in the final of the Pakistan Cup One Day tournament on Tuesday.



Brief Scores



Challengers 148 all out in 49.3 overs (Sidra Amin 19, Fareeha Mehmood 18; Saima Malik 3/27) lost to Blasters 152/8 in 46 overs (Nida Dar 93*, Norren Yaqub 21; Waheeda Akhtar 3/18) by two wickets



Dynamites 182 all out in 48.1 overs (Muneeba Ali 85, Syeda Insharah Asad 25; Kainat Imtiaz 3/30) lost to Strikers 183/3 in 44.4 overs (Jaweria Rauf 88*, Hafsa Khalid 47; Ghulam Fatima 1/30) by seven wickets