CAPE TOWN - Pakistan women cruised to a six-wicket victory at Western Province Cricket Club (WPCC), chasing down 102 in 16 overs as Nida Dar teamed up with young-gun Ayesha Naseem. The pair finished unbeaten 24 and 20 respectively, calmly accounting for Bangladesh’s attack. The scoring was tough on a slow track for Bangladesh, who fought tooth and nail to reach three figures, eventually making 101.
Nigar Sultana Joty’s side struggled to find the one partnership to take the game on, as Pakistan made hay largely through their spin group, with Dar and Nashra Sundhu claiming two wickets each. In other news, Sobhana Mostary limped off the field during Bangladesh’s fielding innings, requiring treatment both on and off the field.
She eventually walked back to the Bangladesh dugout unassisted, and is likely to play in the second warm-up fixture. Meanwhile, England may have put the world on notice after plundering 246 in Stellenbosch, though South Africa made a statement of their own, only falling short by 17 runs in a strong reply. A late salvage job from Georgia Wareham and Jess Jonassen was the difference at Newlands, as Australia successfully defended a miserly total.
Australia finished 129/8 from their 20 overs after at one stage struggling at 10/3, dismissing India for 85. Over at Stellenbosch, Ireland came agonisingly close to stealing victory from Sri Lanka at the University Ground, in large part to an outstanding late flurry from Arlene Kelly.
Kelly (30 off 17) dragged the team from what seemed an impossible position at 104/7 with 5.2 overs left, though Ireland were bowled out in the final over for 147 when the all-rounder and Jane Maguire could not complete a single to put Kelly on strike. A clever rebuild from Maddy Green and Brooke Halliday with the bat swung momentum towards the White Ferns at WPCC, who claimed a comfortable 32-run victory.