Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportLondon (UK): England Women have confirmed a 16-player squad to take on New Zealand in the Vitality IT20 series next month. Opener Sophia Dunkley is recalled to an otherwise unchanged group from those who sealed a T20 series victory against Pakistan in May.Southern Vipers’ Freya Kemp will be available as an all-rounder during the series after being named as a batter against Pakistan. The two sides begin the IT20 series in Southampton (6 July) before matches in Hove (9 July) and Canterbury (11 July), finishing with two London fixtures at the Kia Oval and Lord's on 13 and 17 July respectively. This series follows three ODIs against the same opposition at Durham (26 June) Worcester (30 June) and Bristol (3 July).Head coach Jon Lewis said: “This five-match series against a strong New Zealand side is really important for us and also vital preparation as we build towards the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. We are pleased to welcome Freya Kemp back as an all-rounder and we will hopefully see her bowl across this series as she returns from injury. Sophia Dunkley comes back into the squad after showing good form at regional level, she has earned the right to be in this squad. Mahika Gaur is not available to play due to a small side strain. We will look to have her in and around the squad preparing to return to play.”England Women T20 squad: Heather Knight (Captain-Western Storm), Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers), Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers), Alice ⁠Capsey (South East Stars), Charlie ⁠Dean (Southern Vipers), Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars), Sophie ⁠Ecclestone (Thunder), Lauren Filer (Western Storm), Danielle Gibson (Western Storm), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), ⁠Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds), Amy ⁠Jones (Central Sparks), Freya ⁠Kemp (Southern Vipers), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Linsey Smith (Southern Vipers), Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers)Women’s IT20 Series (schedule):6 July: 1st Women’s IT20 – The Ageas Bowl, Southampton9 July: 2nd Women’s IT20 – The 1st Central County Ground, Hove11 July: 3rd Women’s IT20 – The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence13 July: 4th Women’s IT20 – The Kia Oval, London17 July: 5th Women’s IT20 – Lord’s, London

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: In the third round of the PCB Women’s University Cricket Tournament, University of Karachi beat IBA by 10 wickets at IBA Cricket Ground in Karachi.After restricting IBA to 80-8 in the stipulated 20 overs, the University of Karachi completed the chase in 6.2 overs.Opening batter Yusra Amir starred with an unbeaten half-century (57 not out, 27b, 10x4s) while Arijah Haseeb chipped in with an unbeaten 19 off 11 balls hitting four boundaries to seal the chase.University of Karachi’s Arijah Haseeb claimed four wickets giving away 14 runs in her four overs while Ramsha Amir and Kinza Wahab picked up one wicket each.Scores in briefUniversity of Karachi beat IBA by 10 wicketsIBA 80-8, 20 overs (Munira Hassan 14, Zoha Adnan 14; Arijah Haseeb 4-14)University of Karachi 81-0, 6.2 overs (Yusra Amir 57 not out, Arijah Haseeb 19 not out)Player of the match – Arijah Haseeb (University of Karachi)Saturday’s fixtures: Kinnaird College vs University of Punjab (COMSATS Ground), Lahore College Women University vs Government College University (GCU Ground), Women’s University Multan vs Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU Ground), International Islamic University vs Fatima Jinnah Women’s University (Viqar-Un-Nisa College).

Sports Bulletin ReportDerby (UK): England Women beat Pakistan Women by 37 runs in the first ODI at Derby on Thursday. In pursuit of the 244-run target, Muneeba Ali, batting at three, ended up as the top scorer for Pakistan scoring 34 off 60 balls. Muneeba shared a 30-run second-wicket stand with Sadaf Shamas who hit three boundaries in 28 off 48 balls.Nida Dar (26, 38b, 3x4s) and Aliya Riaz (21, 32b, 3x4s) steered Pakistan from 117-4 to 149-4 after 34 overs where they required 95 off 96 balls with six wickets in hand. The tide turned in England’s favour when Nida, Fatima Sana and Aliya fell in 35th, 36th and 37th over respectively.Najiha Alvi remained unbeaten on 26 off 57 balls as Pakistan fell 37 runs short. Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean spun a web taking three and two wickets respectively. Pacers Lauren Bell and Kate Cross bagged two scalps each.Earlier, after Pakistan opted to bowl, England’s opening batters, Tammy Beaumont (33, 40b, 5x4s) and Maia Bouchier (17, 24b, 2x4s) stitched a 45-run partnership before Nashra Sundhu struck to remove the latter.Skipper Heather Knight occupied the crease for 49 balls returning for 29 before she was stumped by Najiha Alivi against Aliya. Nat-Sciver Brunt struck four boundaries in her 34-ball 31-run outing before she departed leaving England 118-4. A resurgent fifth wicket partnership, between Alice Capsey (44, 65b, 3x4s) and Amy Jones (37, 38b, 3x4s), worth 67 off 75 balls, kept the innings intact.Following Capsey’s dismissal in the 44th over with the scorecard reading 216-6, Sarah Glenn’s unbeaten effort of 16 runs off 13 balls propelled England to 243-9 in their 50 overs. For Pakistan, skipper Nida picked up three wickets while Aliya, Nashra and Umm-e-Hani bagged two wickets each.

Sports Bulletin ReportDerby (UK): Pakistan women will take on England women in a three-match ODI series, commencing on Thursday (May 23, 2024) at the County Ground in Derby. The second ODI will be played in Taunton on 26 May, followed by the third ODI in Chelmsford on 29 May.The series, which is part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, will be Pakistan’s eighth and final series in the cycle. Pakistan are currently positioned on fifth spot with 16 points in the 10-team Women’s Championship. The top five teams from this championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.Earlier on the tour, both sides had featured in three T20Is, which were won by the hosts 3-0.Opening batter Sidra Amin (948 runs at an average of 52.66 in the ICC Championship 2022-25), said:“Despite the recent T20I series not going our way, we are fully focused and eager to put on a good performance in the upcoming ODIs against England.“We believe in our capabilities and are focused on executing our plans well in the upcoming ODI series. The team spirit is high, and we are determined to end the ICC Women's Championship matches on a positive note.”Pakistan women squad: Nida Dar (Captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda AkhtarEngland women ODI squad: Heather Knight (Captain), Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Charlie Dean, Danielle Wyatt, Kate Cross, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, Maia Bouchier, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sarah Glenn, Sophie Ecclestone, Tammy BeaumontODI series schedule:23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

England earn unassailable lead, as hosts Women beat Pakistan Women by 65 runsSports Bulletin ReportNorthampton (England): England Women beat Pakistan Women by 65 runs in the second T20I at Northampton to take the unassailable 2-0 lead.Pakistan restricted England to 144-6 as skipper Nida Dar led from front taking two wickets and also becoming the leading wicket-taker (137) in Women’s T20Is. In return, Pakistan could only manage 79 all out in 15.5 overs as English spinners Sophie Ecclestone (3-11), Alice Capsey (2-4) and Sarah Glenn (2-10) shared seven wickets among each other. Pakistan found themselves in trouble early in pursuit of the 145-run target after Lauren Bell removed Gell Feroza (3, 7b) and Sadaf Shamas (0, 4b) cheaply. Muneeba Ali raced to 18 off 12 before falling to Ecclestone as Pakistan finished the powerplay with 41-3.Leg spinner Glenn pinned Nida leg before in the seventh over to leave Pakistan reeling. Aliya Riaz injected some aggression into the innings as she hit three boundaries in a space of six balls racing to 16 off 10. Sidra (11, 16b, 2x4s) was run out after a mix-up with Aliya in the middle to disrupt the 19-run partnership. At the halfway mark, Pakistan stood 66-5 but only managed 13 more runs before getting bundled out for 79 in 15. 5 overs.Earlier, after England opted to bat first, Waheeda Akhtar castled Danni Wyatt in the third over. Capsey unleashed a flurry of boundaries in the fifth over against Waheeda ransacking 20 runs. England finished the powerplay with 48-1. The duo of Maia Bouchier and Capsey stitched a 49-run second-wicket stand after Bouchier was run out courtesy of a brilliant throw from Diana Baig. Nida struck to get Capsey (31, 33b, 5x4s) stumped in the 12th over. Nat Sciver-Brunt provided the much-needed impetus to England’s innings as she raced to 31 off 20 hitting six boundaries before falling to Sadia Iqbal. Heather Knight struggled during her eight-ball stay in the middle as she holed out to Waheeda at long-off.Nida, bowling the last over, dismissed Amy Jones (15, 14b, 1x4) to bag the milestone wicket. Danielle Gibson (18 not out, 9b, 2x4s, 1x6) belted a six and a four off the last two balls to help England reach 144-6 in 20 overs. Apart from Nida’s two scalps, Waheeda, Sadia and Diana bagged one each.

Sports Bulletin ReportBirmingham (UK): England Women thrashed Pakistan Women by 53 runs on the back of a solid bowling performance in the first T20I at Edgbaston on Saturday.Pakistan’s pursuit of the 164-run target was jolted by the wicket of Sidra Amin in the third over after her opening partner, Gull Feroza, had set the tone with two boundaries in the first over. Sadaf Shamas joined Feroza in the middle and took the fourth over by storm, cracking five boundaries off Danielle Gibson’s bowling.Pakistan finished the powerplay with 57-2 on the board before the English bowlers struck at regular intervals. Apart from Sadaf’s 24-ball 35 comprising seven boundaries, there wasn’t much resistance as Pakistan lost the last eight wickets for a mere 44 runs.Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn was at her destructive best dismissing four batters for just 12 runs in her four overs. Lauren Bell picked up three wickets. Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone struck once each.After opting to bowl first, Pakistan had England under pressure as Waheeda Akhtar and Sadia Iqbal dismissed the English opening batters cheaply. Waheeda returned in the third over to add to England’s woes by getting rid of Alice Capsey followed by the run-out of Freya Kemp leaving them reeling at 11-4.Skipper Heather Knight (49, 44b, 6x4s) and Amy Jones (37, 27b, 6x4s) did the rescue work for their team by stitching a fluent 67-run fifth-wicket partnership. Following Jones’ departure, Gibson’s timely onslaught put Pakistan bowlers on the backfoot as she ransacked eight boundaries in her unbeaten 21-ball 41.The seventh-wicket unbeaten stand of 44 between Gibson and Ecclestone (19 not out, 11b, 3x4s) helped propel England’s score to 163-6 in 20 overs. Waheeda and Sadia picked up two wickets apiece.

Sports Bulletin ReportLeicester (UK): ECB Women’s Development XI beat Pakistan Women by 37 runs in the only Warm-up match at Upton Steel County Ground, Leicester. Muneeba Ali top scored for Pakistan with 31 including four boundaries. Grace Potts dismissed four batters while Linsey Smith and Lauren Filer returned for two wickets each as Pakistan managed 103-9 in the 20 overs. Earlier, ECB Development XI after opting to bat first scored 140 for nine in 20 overs. England’s international Danni Wyatt top-scored for her side with a 34-ball 57, which included nine fours and one six. Nida Dar was the most successful bowler for the visitors, grabbing two wickets for 11 runs. Pakistan women’s team will travel from Leicester to Birmingham today to feature in first of the three T20I, scheduled at Edgbaston on Saturday. The first ball of the T20I match will be bowled at 2.30pm local time.Scores in brief:ECB Women Development XI 140-9, 20 overs (Danni Wyatt 57; Nida Dar 2-11)Pakistan Women 103-9, 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 31; Grace Potts 4-13, Linsey Smith 2-12, Lauren Filer 2-24)Tour schedule:11 May – 1st T20I, Birmingham (2.30pm local time) 17 May – 2nd T20I, Northampton (6.30pm local time) 19 May – 3rd T20I, Leeds (1.00pm local time)21 May – One-Day warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Northampton (11.00am local time)23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship) 26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

Last night’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final was all about Chamari Athapaththu stamping her class and authority and doing so in style! I had mentioned earlier that she is a big match player who is truly world-class and someone who can win any game on her own and last night’s terrific ton was a testament to that special ability and skill that she possesses.For Scotland, Kathryn Bryce’s absence due to injury was a huge setback, and despite a good start with the ball, the main wicket of Athapaththu eluded them, resulting in their eventual loss. After settling in and reaching her 50, Athapaththu unleashed her incredible power and stroke range at the Scotland bowlers, who crumbled under pressure. Athapaththu when in full flow, is almost impossible to stop and one felt that her breathtaking attack after reaching her fifty, and her flight from 50 to 100 in just 20 balls, left Scotland floundering.Sri Lanka’s 169-run total was always going to be a massive task for the Scotland batters, who would have struggled to achieve the target even in their skipper’s presence. Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to put up much of a fight with the bat. Sri Lanka’s dominant performance was a continuation of their exceptional recent run, led by Athapaththu’s heroics. The series wins against South Africa and New Zealand and a comfortable run in the Qualifier barring the UAE semi-final puts them in great shape ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.Despite a tough group comprising Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand, Sri Lanka have the potential to cause upsets and if Athapaththu can deliver in Bangladesh they may surprise a lot of followers of the game and maybe even make it to the semis there. Other than their two defeats in the group stage and final, Scotland’s performance and their journey has been nothing short of inspirational. They were not considered amongst the favourites coming into the tournament, but credit to Kathryn Bryce, her charges, and their support staff for stepping up when it mattered the most.Bryce’s mother recently revealed in an interview that even as a 10-year-old, the captain wanted to play a World Cup, it is wonderful to see her finally realise her dream. Scotland have Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies in their Women’s T20 World Cup group. I feel that they can certainly cause an upset or two, they have about four months to the event, and it all depends on how they use the time to prepare, the work has just begun for them, and I wish them the very best in this exciting journey.In recent years, the depth of women’s cricket has improved considerably with developing teams becoming more competitive than before and a lot of credit must be given to the ICC pathway events around the world, which provide opportunities and much-needed exposure to the players.As I mentioned in one of my earlier columns, new entrants Vanuatu certainly made their presence felt especially with their performance against Zimbabwe. Vanuatu beating a Full Member team was a big achievement indeed and was one of the highlights of the tournament. There was a lot of talent on display in the tournament in all 10 teams which pleased me immensely.Ireland and UAE look like teams with an exciting future, both fell at the semi-final stage, yet they both possess a lot of promising young players and have two quality leaders in Laura Delany and Esha Oza, who can take the two sides a long way in the years ahead.These are exciting times for women’s cricket as one of the top 10 teams (Ireland) that features in the ICC Women’s ODI Championship will miss out on the T20 World Cup, which clearly signifies that the gap between the top teams and Associate Member teams like Scotland and the UAE is closing, making the women’s international circuit more competitive than ever.The top teams simply can’t take things for granted anymore!At the end, I want to thank the ICC for providing me this incredible opportunity of witnessing the progression of women’s cricket up close and catching up with some of the players I played against in my career. When you are able to connect with the next generation of cricketers one-on-one and as a group, it becomes a wholesome experience while sharing of knowledge and experience takes place. This was one such event for me.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Ireland recorded an unequivocal, 54-run win over Netherlands to knock them out of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. Tournament hosts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have sealed the fourth semi-final spot, moving one step closer to qualification for the main event in Bangladesh later this year.Ireland beat Netherlands by 54 runs: Ireland, who chose to bat first, lost their prolific openers Amy Hunter (1) and Gaby Lewis (10) within the first 14 balls of the match as Netherlands pacer, Iris Zwilling got her side off to a perfect start in the crucial clash. Orla Prendergast (19) and Delany added 38 runs for the third-wicket to bring Ireland back in the hunt. They landed stumbled when they also lost Leah Paul for two, stuttering to 55/4 in the 10th over.Ireland roared back in contention thanks to a superb, unbeaten 89-run partnership between Delany and Eimear Richardson. The two took the fight back to the Netherlands bowlers who were bereft of answers in the second half of the Irish innings.Delany hit some scintillating shots in her undefeated 70 off 45 balls (eight fours, two sixes), while Richardson contributed 34 off 32 (two fours). Ireland finished their 20 overs on 144/4. Zwilling took two for 13 in her four overs, she was the most successful Netherlands bowler.Netherlands began their chase confidently with openers, Zwilling and Sterre Kalis adding 24 runs. The partnership was broken when Zwilling fell on the final ball of the fourth over, Kalis followed her back to the dugout in the sixth over. In-form batter, Robine Rijke fell for a duck as 24 for no loss turned into 29 for three in 5.4 overs.A 31-run, fourth-wicket stand between wicketkeeper Babette de Leede and captain, Heather Siegers revived the Netherlands’ hopes. Delany, at this stage, followed her batting brilliance to the delight of both Irish and UAE fans. The medium-pacer ran through the Dutch middle-order with figures of 3/6 in two overs. Netherlands were eventually skittled out for 90 in 17.3 overs, confirming the UAE’s entry into the semis. Prendergast also took three wickets and Arlene Kelly took two wickets.Sri Lanka beat USA by 18 runs: Sri Lanka, who won the toss and opted to bat first, found it tough to score quick runs up front against some disciplined and probing USA bowling. Geetika Kodali clinched the massive wicket of Sri Lanka captain, Chamari Athapaththu (4) in the opening over of the match.Athapaththu’s dismissal made Sri Lanka look for consolidation early on as Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Madavi took time to settle. The two shared 49 runs for the second-wicket in eight overs. Gunaratne fell for 25 (22 balls, three fours). Madavi (23) was dismissed off the next delivery, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 55/3 in 9.1 overs.USA kept the scoring rate in check in the second half of the Sri Lankan innings. Middle-order batter, Hansima Kunaratne, occupied the crease for the remainder of the innings, consuming 27 balls for her 25 runs (three fours). Nilakshi De Silva scored 21 off 29.Sri Lanka ended their innings at 123/4. Saanvi Immadi, Aditiba Chudasama and Kodali returning a wicket each for the USA.USA got off to a solid start and looked in contention for an upset until the 13th over of their innings. They tumbled from 63/1 to 87/5 as the Sri Lankan bowlers, led by Athapaththu, made some crucial breakthroughs. The skipper led the charge, taking 3/14 in her four overs, she was later named the player of the match. Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoka Ranaweera took one wicket apiece.Opener, Disha Dhingra (28 off 29 balls, four fours) was the leading run scorer for the USA. Captain, Sindhu Sriharsha chipped in with 27 (three fours), while Pooja Shah remained unbeaten on 20. They were eventually restricted to 105/6 at the end of their allotted overs, ending their tournament at the bottom of Group A after being unable to secure a win in any of their matches.

Nida Dar to lead 17-member squad for the six white-ball matchesSports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The newly-appointed seven-member women’s national selection committee has named a 17-player Pakistan women’s squad for this month’s tour to England.Nida Dar will continue to lead the side, which will feature in three T20Is from 11-17 May and three ODIs from 23-29 May. The ODIs are part of ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 and this will be Pakistan’s eighth and final series in the current event cycle.Pakistan are currently sitting in fifth position with 16 points in the 10-team ICC Women Championship 2022-25 standings. The top five teams from this championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.In addition to the six white-ball international matches, the tourists will also play two warm-up games (T20 and One-Day) against ECB Development XI on 9 and 21 May. For their first England tour since 2016, the national side will leave on Sunday, 5 May.Pakistan women squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda AkhtarPlayer support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rasheed (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Hanif Malik (fielding coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist), Zubair Ahmed (analyst) and Hina Munawar (chief security officer)Tour schedule:9 May – T20 warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Uptonsteel County Ground (11.00am local time)11 May – 1st T20I, Birmingham (2.30pm local time)17 May – 2nd T20I, Northampton (6.30pm local time)19 May – 3rd T20I, Leeds (1.00pm local time)21 May – One-Day warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Northampton (11.00am local time)23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)