Opener Gull Feroza smacked her second consecutive half-century to steer Pakistan to a comprehensive 10-wicket triumph over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their Women’s Asia Cup T20 2024 encounter at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Tuesday.
Opting to field first, Pakistan’s bowlers made early inroads into the UAE batting lineup, restricting them to 103-8 in 20 overs. Pakistan, in their chase, galloped to 107 without loss in 14.1 overs, with 35 balls to spare. This victory significantly boosts Pakistan Women’s chances of securing a semi-final berth.
Openers Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali, continuing their good form from the previous game against Nepal, maintained their momentum in this match. The pair stitched together an unbeaten partnership of 107 runs, marking their second century partnership after their 105-run stand in the previous match.
Gull Feroza, who reached her second successive fifty in 46 balls, went on to score a career-best unbeaten 62. Her 55-ball innings included eight boundaries. Her opening partner, Muneeba Ali, contributed an unbeaten 37 off 30 balls, finding the boundary four times.
The UAE Women’s batting lineup faced a tough challenge against Pakistan’s bowling attack. Theertha Satish top-scored with 40 runs, while Esha Oza added 16, and Khushi Sharma managed just 12 runs as the UAE innings struggled to gain momentum.
Sadia Iqbal, Nashra Sundhu, and Tuba Hassan were the pick of the Pakistan bowlers, each claiming two wickets for 11, 22, and 17 runs, respectively.
This victory propels Pakistan Women closer to the semi-finals, showcasing their dominant form in the tournament.
