Sidra Amin's ton helps Blasters overcome Challengers in thrilling final

Sidra Amin's unbeaten knock of 102 helped PCB Blasters win the final of National Triangular One-Day Women's Cricket Championship against PCB Challengers by seven runs at Lahore Gymkhana Stadium on Thursday (September 26). The ten-day tournament thus ended in a thrilling manner. Blasters held their nerve in the final few overs to overcome a strong fightback from Challengers.

The match went right down to the wire as Challengers required 14 to get off the final over bowled by Aliya Riaz. They eventually fell short by seven runs as Riaz kept her composure.

Asked to bat first in the final match of the tournament, Blasters put on a stellar show with the courtesy a tremendous unbeaten ton from Amin. She carried the bat through to finish unbeaten on 102. She had faced 153 balls and hit 11 fours through her knock.

The start was far from ideal for Blasters as they lost Ayesha Zafar early in the third over. Umaima Sohail, the no.3 batter joined Amin and the duo weathered the early storm with a useful 35-run partnership, where the majority of run-scoring was done by Sohail. Just when Sohail found her groove she got out leaving Blasters placed at 38 for 2 in 15 overs. Kainat Hafeez joined Amin and both the batters hung in there for 18 overs to stitch together a partnership worth 65 runs.

The Blasters innings was all about some substantial partnership in the middle and it was clear that Amin would play the role of the sheet anchor and the others would do the hitting. After the fall of Hafeez's wicket in the 33rd over, Aliya Riaz joined forces with Amin and there was a clear shift in momentum as the former took matters into her own hands by dispatching three sixes in her innings and scoring 42 off just 47 balls. In the company of Amin, who was happy to play second fiddle, the duo put on a show, sharing a partnership worth 100 runs in 15.1 overs.

Blasters eventually finished on a strong 216 with five wickets in the bank in their stipulated 50 overs.

Sadia Iqbal, Fatima Sana, Saba Nazir and Syeda Aroob Shah picked up one wicket each for Challengers.

Chasing 217, Challengers got off to a very sedate start as they could score only 25 runs in the first 10 overs. They also lost one wicket in the process - that of Khadija Chishti for 12. The fall of Chishti brought in Bismah Maroof, the skipper. She was coming from a match-winning unbeaten 50 in the last match against Dynamites. She certainly looked in some form batting along with Jaweria Rauf. The duo put on 82 for the second wicket in 18 overs to lay a foundation for the rest of the batters.

Maroof was looking good for yet another fifty but just when things were going the Challengers way, disaster struck. First Maroof got out six runs shy of a half-century and immediately after a few overs, Sidra Nawaz fell for 16. Challengers were jolted by the double strikes still needing 103 to get in 20 overs.

Rauf was at the other end playing patiently and got to a well deserved fifty. She, too, fell soon after for 51 off 83 balls, leaving Challengers were on a tricky position. They required 73 runs in 13 overs with six wickets in hand. The match was heading down to the wire.

Two quick wickets of Daina Baig and Fatima Sana put Challengers on the back foot and Blasters looked set to win the cup.

Challengers eventfully fell short by just six runs at the end of 50 overs with three wickets remaining.

Brief scores: PCB Blasters 216/5 in 50 overs (Sidra Amin 102*, Aliya Riaz 42) beat PCB Challengers 210/7 in 50 overs (Javeria Rauf 51, Bismah Marof 44; Tooba Hassan 2-28, Almas Akram 2-38) by six runs. PoM: Sidra Amin.