Iram Javed, Nahida Khan star on opening day of Pakistan Cup One Day as Blasters, Challengers make winning start

PCB Blasters and PCB Challengers made winning start to their campaign as they beat PCB Dynamites and PCB Strikers respectively on the opening day of the Pakistan Cup One Day 2021-22 in Karachi on Thursday (September 9). Nahida Khan starred with the bat for Blasters at the National Stadium in their six wickets win while Iram Javed’s 91 helped Challengers to a huge 150-run win against Strikers at the Oval Academy Ground.



In the rain-reduced 45-per-side match at the National Stadium, Dynamites had a good start to their innings after electing to bat with skipper Muneeba Ali and Sadaf Shamas putting on 66 runs for the opening wicket. Once Saima Malik accounted for Shamas and Syeda Aroob Shah removed Kainat Hafeez in quick succession, Ali and Aliya Riaz added another 34 runs to take the score to 119.



However, twin strikes from Nida Dar to remove Ali for 62 and Syeda Insharah Asad for a duck left Dynamites reeling at 119 for four. Riaz played a patient innings of 57 not out to take them to 186 for six at the end of stipulated 45 overs.



For Blasters, Aroob Shah finished with figures of two for 39 while Dar was the most successful bowler with two for 22 from her nine overs.



In the chase, Nahida gave Blasters a good start in the company of Gul Feroza as the pair put on 89 runs for the opening wicket. Even though they lost Feroza and Omaima Sohail in quick succession, Nahida and Sidra Nawaz took the score to 140 before Ghulam Fatima accounted for Nawaz when she was on 22.



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From there, Nahida continued her stroke-filled innings which included seven boundaries and Dar played a run-a-ball knock to score 25 to take them close to the target. Despite Dar falling to Maham Tariq, Nahida remained unbeaten on 90 to guide the Blasters home with almost five overs to spare.



For Dynamites, Fatima was the most successful bowler with figures of two for 39 from her nine overs.



Elsewhere at the Oval Academy Ground, Challengers had consistent contributions from their batters after opting to bat first. Although Sidra Amin scored only 18, once she was dismissed by Kainat Imtiaz, Fareeha Mehmood and skipper Javeria Khan scored 40s to take the score to 113 even as they took time during their respective knocks.



Batting at number four, Javed played in an aggressive fashion scoring at a strike rate of 137.87. Her innings of 91 was stroke-filled with six boundaries and five sixes to her credit. Although they lost a few wickets in the space of three runs after crossing 200, Javed’s scintillating knock meant Challengers finished on 256 for seven from their 50 overs.



For Strikers, Natalia Parvez took two wickets for 41 runs while Tooba Hassan was expensive giving away 70 runs for her two wickets.



In reply, Strikers struggled through out the innings losing wickets at regular intervals with all the Challengers’ bowlers coming to the party. Only Diana Baig, who bowled five frugal overs for 13, went wicket-less among the bowlers.







Strikers’ batters didn’t have answers with only Parvez showing some resistance as she top-scored with 22. Only Javeria Rauf, Ayesha Zafar and Fatima Sana reached double figures but none of them could push past to the 20s as they were skittled out for just 106 in 35.5 overs to give Challengers a 150-run win.



For Challengers, Waheeda Akhtar, Syeda Masooma Zahra and Anoosha Nasir picked two-wickets apiece.



Brief Scores:



PCB Dynamites 186/6 in 45 overs (Muneeba Ali 62, Aliya Riaz 57*; Nida Dar 2/22) lost to PCB Blasters 187/4 in 40.4 overs (Nahida Khan 90*, Gul Feroza 30; Ghulam Fatima 2/39) by 6 wickets



PCB Challengers 256/7 in 50 overs (Iram Javed 91, Javeria Khan 46; Natalie Parvez 2/41) beat PCB Strikers 106/10 in 35.5 overs (Natalia Parvez 22; Waheeda Akhtar 2/18, Anoosha Nasir 2/25) by 150 runs