Pakistan Secures Victory Over Scotland in Rain-Shortened ODI
On Friday, Pakistan triumphed over Scotland by six wickets in a rain-affected match during the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers. This victory was bolstered by an impressive unbeaten innings from Aliya Riaz.
The home team was set a target of 187 under the Duckworth-Lewis method after rain shortened the match to 32 overs per side. Pakistan comfortably reached 190 for 4, finishing with eight balls remaining, largely thanks to Aliya’s outstanding 68 not out, which helped the team rise to the top of the standings.
During the post-match ceremony held at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground, Aliya reflected on the match, stating, “I advised Muneeb Ali that we should concentrate on forming a partnership and steadily increasing the run rate.”
She elaborated on her approach, saying, “I was taking each ball as it came and waiting to capitalize on the deliveries that met my judgment.” Aliya pointed out that the team’s primary focus was on qualifying for the Women’s World Cup, emphasizing that the top-order batters were aware of this responsibility.
Pakistan faced early setbacks in their pursuit of 187 runs as both Gull Feroza and the seasoned Sidra Amin fell cheaply for two and seven runs, respectively, leaving the team at just 36 runs.
Opener Muneeba was then joined by Aliya, who had scored a half-century in the previous match. Together, they formed a steady partnership of 93 runs, effectively eliminating Scotland from contention. Scotland’s fielding was lackluster, contributing to the loss of crucial runs, and Muneeba benefitted from being dropped on two occasions by Abbi Aitken-Drummond, eventually scoring 71 runs during a pivotal partnership.
In the first innings, Scotland batted first after winning the toss. Their captain, Kathryn Bryce, led the way with a solid 91 runs off 96 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and a six before being dismissed by Pakistan’s captain, Fatima Sana. Fatima was Pakistan’s standout bowler, taking 4 wickets for 23 runs as Scotland was limited to 186 runs for nine wickets in their allotted overs.
Pakistan made early inroads with left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal and pace bowler Diana Baig dismissing Scotland’s openers within the first five overs. After a decent 51-run partnership for the third wicket, the Scottish innings lost momentum, especially when skipper Bryce was left to stabilize the team after losing half its batters by the 25th over.
The match started three hours late at the LCCA ground due to a wet outfield from the rain. The six-team ICC Qualifiers include Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand, West Indies, and hosts Pakistan, featuring a round-robin format in matches taking place from April 9 to 19 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground. The tournament will determine which two teams qualify for the Women’s World Cup later this year in India.
Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan’s women’s team had already secured a 38-run victory over Ireland in a low-scoring match, showcasing strong performances from bowlers Diana Baig and Nashra Sandhu, who each took four and three wickets, respectively.
Teams
Pakistan: Muneeba Ali, Gull Feroza, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Omaima Sohail, Fatima Sana (captain), Sidra Nawaz, Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
Scotland: Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Pippa Sproul, Kathryn Bryce (captain), Sarah Bryce, Ailsa Lister, Megan McColl, Katherine Fraser, Priyanaz Chatterji, Chloe Abel, Rachel Slater, Abtaha Maqsood.
