Dubai: The New Zealand team secured a spot in the knockout stages of the tournament, defeating both India and Pakistan by a margin of 54 runs. This victory was achieved following a dominant performance by the White Ferns, who won by 54 runs against Pakistan on Monday.
The matchday opponents, Pakistan, were aware that they had a chance to qualify if they could score 111 runs within a short timeframe. Conversely, India would have qualified for the knockout stages had Pakistan managed to secure the win in a slower manner.
However, a combination of exceptional bowling from New Zealand and an aggressive approach from Pakistan led to a swift conclusion of the match, with Pakistan being dismissed for 56 runs in just 11.4 overs of the second innings.
In the earlier stages of the match, Suzie Bates was the leading scorer with 28 runs, and several New Zealand players were given opportunities to bat. Meanwhile, Pakistan's spinners were effective in controlling the score, with Nashra Sandhu being particularly impressive with 3 wickets for 18 runs.
Throughout the innings played under lights in Dubai, there were several catches made, and the final target, along with the NRR equation, proved to be too challenging for Pakistan.
With a target of scoring 111 runs in just 10.4 overs to advance on the NRR, Pakistan initiated their attack strongly, with Muneeba Ali leading the charge with 15 runs from 11 balls.
However, Muneeba, Aliya Riaz, Sadaf Shamas, and Iram Javed all departed early as the required rate of scoring increased. Consequently, Pakistan continued to lose wickets, leading to their eventual dismissal for just 56 runs.
Fatima Sana was the sole New Zealand player to score double figures, contributing 21 runs. Despite her efforts, she was the only one to provide significant support, and the match concluded swiftly as Pakistan were bowled out for 56 runs.
Melie Kerr emerged as the standout performer, entering the fray after a significant portion of the early damage had been inflicted, securing three wickets, including the pivotal wickets of Sana and Nida Dar, before clinching the victory with her dismissal of Sadia Iqbal.
However, it was Eden Carson who effectively neutralized Pakistan's momentum, achieving figures of 2/7 across three overs, significantly contributing to the pressure on the scoring rate, which ultimately became unmanageable.
In the decision-making process, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine opted to bat first against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The White Ferns commenced their innings with a strong start, reaching a score of 39/0 at the conclusion of the powerplay, with Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer demonstrating exceptional batting skills.
Pakistan, on the other hand, responded with vigor in the middle overs, with Nashra Sandhu dismissing both openers.
Georgia Plimmer was the first to fall for 17 (from 14 balls), followed by Suzie Bates for 28 (29).
Melie Kerr, known for her aggressive approach, struggled to find her rhythm, ending with scores of 9 (17) before being caught by returning captain Fatima Sana, marking her second dismissal of the innings.
Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday managed to rebuild, guiding New Zealand towards a respectable total, yet the exceptional spin bowling from Pakistan's side made it challenging to achieve an insurmountable score in the first innings.
A strategic stumping by Muneeba Ali concluded Brooke Halliday's innings (22 from 24 overs), and the captain took two additional catches to dismiss Sophie Devine (19 from 25) and Maddy Green (9 from 7).
Despite the efforts, eight catches were made throughout the innings, including three in the final over, as Pakistan failed to capitalize on the opportunity to further restrict New Zealand's score.
Final Brief Scores: New Zealand: 110/6 (Suzie Bates 28, Brooke Halliday 22, Nashra Sandhu 3/18) defeated Pakistan: 56 in 11.4 overs (Fatima Sana 21, Muneeba Ali 15, Amelia Kerr 3/14).
