Sports Bulletin

 Karachi (SBR):Conquerors and Stars won their opening round matches of the National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024-25, which began at the two venues of Karachi on Wednesday afternoon.At the National Bank Stadium, after opting to bat first, Stars on the back of an unbeaten 89 from skipper Sidra Amin, scored 148 for four in their allotted 20 overs against Strikers. No.3 batter, Sidra’s innings included 14 fours and a six, which came off 57 balls.Huraina Sajjad returned undefeated on 25 off 30 balls, which included one boundary. The pair of Sidra and Huraina knitted an unbroken 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket.In turn, despite an unbeaten half-century by Eyman Fatima (52 not out, 34b, 9x4s, 1x6), who walked in to bat at 46-2, Strikers fell 17 runs short of the target and managed to score 131 for six in 20 overs.Neelam Mushtaq and Tuba Hassan bagged two wickets apiece for the winning side.At the Oval Academy Ground, Conquerors scored 145 for nine in 20 overs after batting first against Invincibles. Captain Fatima Sana was the top run-getter, returning undefeated on 85 off 48 balls, which included 12 fours and three sixes.For Invincibles, left-arm spinner Saima Malik was the most successful bowler, claiming four wickets for 13 runs in four overs.In reply, Invincibles were restricted to 115 for six in their 20 overs, falling 30 runs short of the target. Muneeba Ali top-scored with a 48-ball 50, which included five fours and a six. No.7 batter Fatima Khan struck five fours in her 33-ball 31 but in vain.For the winning side, left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu grabbed two wickets for 20 in four overs.On 8 May, Strikers will face Invincibles at the National Bank Stadium, while Challengers will take on Stars at the Oval Academy Ground. Both matches will begin at 3pm.Scores in brief:Match 1: Stars beat Strikers by 17 runs at the National Bank StadiumStars 148-4, 20 overs (Sidra Amin 89 not out, Huraina Sajjad 25 not out)Strikers 131-6, 20 overs (Eyman Fatima 52 not out, Aleena Masood 23, Zoofishan Ayyaz 21; Neelam Mushtaq 2-27, Tuba Hassan 2-27)Player of the match – Sidra Amin (Stars)Match 2: Conquerors beat Invincibles by 30 runs at the Oval Academy GroundConquerors 145-9, 20 overs (Fatima Sana 85 not out, Farzana Farooq 21; Saima Malik 4-13)Invincibles 115-6, 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 50, Fatima Khan 31 not out; Nashra Sundhu 2-20)Player of the match – Fatima Sana (Conquerors)

 Karachi (SBR):The National Women’s T20 Tournament will begin on Wednesday (tomorrow) in Karachi. The 18-day tournament will see five teams – Challengers, Conquerors, Invincibles, Stars and Strikers, competing against one another with each team playing eight matches with a total of 22 matches slated to take place till 24 May.The T20 matches will be played at the National Bank Stadium and Oval Ground, with first ball of each match to be bowled at 3pm. The opening day will see Strikers competing against National Women’s One-Day Champions Stars at the National Bank Stadium, while Conquerors will take on Invincibles at the Oval Ground.To make the tournament more competitive, the teams finishing second and third on the points table will face off in a Qualifier on 22 May, with the winner advancing to meet the top-ranked team in the final on 24 May. The final will be played at the National Bank Stadium.A total of 80 cricketers will participate in the tournament, which carries a prize pool of over PKR three Million. The champions will receive PKR 1.5 million, while the runners-up will take home PKR one million.Pakistan national team captain Fatima Sana will lead Conquerors, while opening batter Gull Feroza will captain Strikers. Muneeba Ali, the only Pakistan women batter to score a T20I century will lead Invincibles, while all-rounder Rameen Shamim will lead Challengers. Sidra Amin, who was Pakistan’s top run-getter in the recently concluded ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, will lead Stars.Captains’ while speaking exclusively to PCB Digital on the eve of the tournament expressed their confidence on team’s preparations.Challengers captain Rameen Shamim: “We have made plans for the tournament with the coaching staff and will try to execute them on the field.“We have a balanced squad with all departments covered and we will aim to produce good results in every match of the tournament.”Conquerors captain Fatima Sana: “We will try to do well in the T20 tournament. All the players are eager to showcase their skills and perform well for the team.“Our team couldn’t win the final of the One-Day Tournament, but this is a T20 event and we will try not to repeat the same mistakes and do well in this competition.”Invincibles captain Muneeba Ali: “We will take one game at a time and will try to win the opening match to gain momentum in the tournament.“I will try to contribute as much in team’s better performance in the tournament.”Stars captain Sidra Amin: “Our team had won the previous One-Day Tournament, so we will be aiming high in the forthcoming T20 tournament.“We have had domestic tournaments regularly in Karachi, so we are familiar with the conditions and are confident of achieving better results in the tournament.”Strikers captain Gull Feroza: “We have had a good preparation camp leading up to the tournament and the young players in our side are ready to perform when given the opportunity.“I am optimistic the team will perform well and give better results in the tournament.” 

Karachi (SBR); The five-team National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024-25 will begin on 7 May at two venues in Karachi - National Bank Stadium and HPC Oval Ground.This year’s edition will feature five teams Challengers, Conquerors, Invincibles, Stars, and Strikers. Competing in a double-league format, each team will play eight matches with a total of 22 matches slated to take place across 18 days.The teams finishing second and third on the points table will face off in a Qualifier on 22 May, with the winner advancing to meet the top-ranked team in the final on 24 May. The final will be played at the National Bank Stadium.A total of 80 cricketers will participate in the tournament, which carries a prize pool of over PKR three Million. The champions will receive PKR 1.5 million, while the runners-up will take home PKR one million.The 19-member squads of each of the five teams will be trimmed to 16 at the end of the four-day pre-tournament camp, which begins on 3 May in Karachi.Among the players featuring, five national players who were part of Pakistan’s victorious squad at the recently-concluded ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2025 will lead their respective sides– Fatima Sana (Conquerors), Gull Feroza (Strikers), Muneeba Ali (Invincibles), Rameen Shamim (Challengers) and Sidra Amin (Stars).

Lahore (Sports Report): Pakistan maintained their unbeaten record in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Qualifier with a comprehensive, 65-run victory over the West Indies. The hosts made it three wins from three matches to go top of the standings, as captain Fatima Sana starred with the ball to power her side to victory at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.The result puts Pakistan in pole position to qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 alongside Bangladesh, as the two remaining unbeaten sides in the qualifier.Matthews and Fletcher restrict Pakistan battersPakistan elected to bat but Hayley Matthews struck early to remove Gull Feroza for two in the fourth over, leaving the hosts six for one.Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin built a strong foundation for the innings, combining to bring up Pakistan’s half century before Muneeba was trapped leg before for 33 by Afy Fletcher.The West Indies continued to chip away at regular intervals, as Aliya Riaz and Omaima Sohail fell for 20 and 16 respectively, and Sidra brought up her half century before she was bowled out by Ashmini Munisar for 54.Sidra Nawaz chipped in with 23 useful runs but two wickets apiece for Matthews, Karishma Ramharack and Afy Fletcher helped the West Indies dismiss Pakistan for 191, the final wicket falling from the penultimate ball of innings’ last over.Pakistan made the perfect start with the ball, as Fatima dismissed fellow skipper Matthews leg before wicket with the first ball of the innings.Shemaine Campbelle immediately sought to get the West Indies’ innings up and running and was beginning to find boundaries when she was run out for 14 to leave her side 15 for two.Opener Zaida James was also run out for four as the West Indies slipped to 29 for three.Jannillea Glasgow and Chinelle Henry looked to rebuild and brought their side over the half century mark before both fell in the same over to Nashra Sandhu.Stafanie Taylor and Shabika Gajnabi picked up the mantle as the West Indies sought to resurrect their run chase, but Taylor was caught by Muneeba off the bowling of Rameen Shamim for 17 to bring a promising partnership to an end.Gajnabi’s 21 dragged her side towards three figures but was bowled by Fatima to leave her side requiring 95 runs with three wickets in hand.That proved too much for the West Indies’ tail, despite a valiant 22 from Aaliyah Alleyne, as they were bowled out for 126, Fatima leading the way with three for 16.Scores in briefPakistan v West Indies – Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreResult: Pakistan win by 65 runsPakistan 191 all out in 49.5 overs (Sidra Amin 54, Muneeba Ali 33; Matthews 2/30, Afy Fletcher 2/39)West Indies 126 all out in 39.2 overs (Aaliyah Alleyne 22, Shakiba Gajnabi 21; Fatima 3/16, Rameen 2/26)

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: A captain’s knock by Kathryn Bryce and fine bowling from the bowlers, led by Rachel Slater helped Scotland claim a solid, 58-run victory over Thailand in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Qualifier at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground on Sunday. The Scotland skipper made 60, ably supported by Megan McColl’s 57, to help them to 206 all out batting first.Despite a promising start from Thailand in response, only Natthakan Chantham (63) was able to build a big score in the chase, with Slater’s three for nine at the start of the innings proving to be crucial for Kathryn Bryce’s charges. That leaves Scotland with two wins from their first three fixtures with a big clash against Bangladesh up next, while Thailand are still searching for their first win of the tournament.Bryce and McColl provide Scotland a good foundation: Scotland won the toss and elected to bat first but lost Pippa Sproule for one off the bowling of Nattaya Boochatham (2/46).That brought skipper Kathryn Bryce to the crease, she and Abbi Aitken-Drummond started to rebuild before Boochatham picked up her second wicket when she removed Aitken-Drummond for 22.Sarah Bryce joined her sister but quickly departed for five, however a 67-run stand between the elder Bryce and Ailsa Lister got Scotland back on track.Lister became the first of Onnicha Kamchomphu’s three victims, caught by Naruemol Chaiwai for a run-a-ball 38.Bryce followed for 60, bowled by Kampchomphu (3/28), but Megan McColl dug in to marshal the lower order.Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, her 57 from just 60 balls pushed Scotland past 200, before she was the last wicket to fall with nine overs still remaining.Thailand chase stumbles under Scotland pressure: The chase started positively with Boochatham (20) and Chanida Sutthiruang (18) putting on 41 runs for the first wicket.However, Rachel Slater proved difficult to get away from and got early results when she picked up both openers in the same over to get Scotland going.She then bowled Nannapat Koncharoenkai for three, taking her figures to three for nine, and leaving Thailand at 46 for three.Natthakan Chantham and skipper Chaiwai added 25 before the captain was trapped leg before by Abtaha Maqsood, and Scotland were able to chip away regularly despite Chantham’s best efforts.She was eventually bowled out by Maqsood for 63, ending any hopes of a successful chase, with Katherine Fraser sealing victory by having Kampchomphu caught to wrap up the 58-run success.Scores in brief:Scotland v Thailand – LCCA GroundScotland 206 all out in 41 overs (Kathryn Bryce 60, Megan McColl; Thipatcha Putthawong 3/28, Onnicha Kamchomphu 3/34)Thailand 148 all out in 31.3 overs (Natthakan Chantham 63, Nattaya Boochatham 20; Rachel Slater 3/9, Abtaha Maqsood 3/26, Katherine Fraser 3/28)Scotland won by 58 runs 

 Lahore (Sports Report): The Selection Committee has named a 15-member squad for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, set to take place from 9 to 19 April at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore. The squad was selected after the selection committee evaluated players’ fitness and form in the ongoing second phase of preparation camp, where the players took part in warm-up matches and practice sessions.Fatima Sana, who has led Pakistan in six T20Is and two ODIs, will continue to lead the women’s cricket team in the 50-over event, while Shawaal Zulfiqar makes a comeback to the national side after suffering from a shoulder injury during the tour of New Zealand in December 2023. Squad:Fatima Sana (captain), Muneeba Ali (vice-captain), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi (wicket-keeper), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper) and Syeda Aroob ShahReserve players:Ghulam Fatima, Waheeda Akhtar and Umm-e-Hani Player support personnel:Hina Munawar (manager), Muhammad Wasim (head coach), Junaid Khan (assistant coach bowling), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach spin bowling), Abdul Saad (assistant coach fielding), Waleed Ahmed (analyst), Muhammad Rafi Ullah (media manager), Muhammad Ramzan (strength and conditioning coach), Tehreem Sumbal (physiotherapist) and Kiran Shahzadi (masseuse)The six-team ICC event, which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan, will feature a single-league round-robin format. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground will host 15 matches of the event, with Pakistan playing Ireland in the opening match of the competition at the Gaddafi StadiumOn 11 April, Pakistan will play Scotland at the LCCA ground in a day game, while the hosts will take on West Indies in a day-night fixture on 14 April at the Gaddafi Stadium.Pakistan will face Thailand in their fourth fixture of the event scheduled on 17 April in a day-night fixture at Gaddafi Stadium, while their final group stage match will be against Bangladesh on 19 April at the LCCA ground, which will be a day match. Pakistan fixtures (day matches begin at 9.30am and day/night matches at 2pm local time):vs Ireland – 9 April, Gaddafi Stadium (Day)vs Scotland – 11 April, LCCA (Day)vs West Indies – 14 April, Gaddafi Stadium (D/N)vs Thailand – 17 April, Gaddafi Stadium (D/N)vs Bangladesh – 19 April, LCCA (Day)

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Knight has captained England Women 199 times since 2016, including leading the team to a home World Cup victory in 2017 and to two other ICC tournament finals. She oversaw 134 victories as England Women captain, second on the list of England Women’s all-time most successful captains.She also led the team to a record-breaking run of eight consecutive ODI series wins including defeating Australia during the 2023 home Ashes, in which England also won the IT20 series to draw a thrilling Women’s Ashes that took interest in international women’s cricket to a new level.However, on the back of disappointing performances by the team in last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE and the recent Ashes in Australia, the ECB has decided to appoint a new Captain to lead the team into a new era. Knight’s successor will be appointed shortly.Clare Connor, ECB Managing Director, England Women, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “Heather has been an outstanding leader as England Women’s Captain. She has led the team by example as a role model off the pitch, and through the runs she has scored on it – often in the toughest conditions.“Heather has enjoyed many highlights as England captain. I particularly remember the century she scored in the Ashes Test at Canberra in 2022 where her individual brilliance nearly helped the team pull off a famous win. It was an innings of great skill and great heart.“She led the team brilliantly to win a World Cup on home turf, creating memories we will never forget. That magical day at Lord’s acted as a catalyst for so much of the growth we have seen for women’s and girls’ cricket in the years since.“Heather is passionate about inspiring young girls to play cricket and to playing her part in making our sport gender-balanced. She is a powerful role model to young professional female players and to recreational players alike. Having started her England career as an amateur, she has always understood the important connection between the England team and the grassroots game.”Heather Knight said: “Captaining my country for the last nine years has been the biggest honour of my life and I will look back on my tenure with an enormous sense of pride. I have loved the challenge of leading the team, but all good things come to an end and it’s time for me to go back into the ranks and focus on being the best batter and teammate that I can be for the team.“Winning the ICC Women’s World Cup on home turf at Lord’s in 2017 will always be a huge highlight, but being a part of the huge steps forward made in the women’s game off the pitch brings me just as much pride.“Thank you to all the players and staff, who have given it everything along the way - especially Mark, Lisa and Jon, three head coaches that I’ve loved working with. The people make the job.“Thank you to the fans that have supported me and the team through the highs and the lows. Finally, to my friends, family and long-suffering partner Tim, you live the journey with me and I wouldn’t be here without your support.“I have loved being England Captain, it's been the most rewarding period of my career, but for now I’m excited to focus on my batting and supporting the team and the new captain in the best way I can.”Knight made her England debut in 2010 and ten years later became the first England men’s or women’s player to score an international century in all three formats of the game.Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m immensely thankful for everything Heather has given in her time as Captain. The World Cup win and the thrilling 2023 Women’s Ashes will live long in the memory.“Heather’s influence as Captain has extended far beyond her impact on the pitch. Through her leadership and dedication, she has inspired many women and girls to get involved in the sport, fuelling the transformation of women’s cricket we have seen since 2016. As one of the world’s best batters, I look forward to watching Heather play on for England for many years to come.” 

Islamabad (Sports Desk): The group, led by England Women A Head Coach and Performance Batting Coach Jon Lewis, will play three T20s, three 50-over matches and a four-day match against Australia A.Returning batter Paige Scholfield, who had to withdraw from England Women’s tour to South Africa in November 2024, is named in all three squads. She is joined by players from the England Women Pace Programme including Surrey teammates Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Emma Jones (T20 and 50-over) and Alexa Stonehouse, who is selected across all formats.Alice Capsey and Danielle Gibson (both 50-over and four-day only) as well as Bess Heath and Freya Kemp (all formats) were part of the England Women’s Ashes squads earlier this year. Capsey and Gibson will join the tour following their time in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and all are selected for this tour to provide continued opportunity to play competitive matches against a strong Australian side.The majority of the group have recently been preparing at a training camp in Abu Dhabi to further their skills in warm conditions and gain some competitive scenario practice. The group depart for Sydney on 17 March. England Women A Head Coach Jon Lewis said: “We are looking forward to testing ourselves against a national side with great depth. We are aware of the challenge ahead.“There has been some good work done by the players based in England and those who have been playing cricket over the winter around the world and this tour provides an opportunity for players to push for selection into the senior squad through strong performances against the Australians.”Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket, added: “We have a good mix of experience across the three squads with all players striving to perform and push for selection into the senior team. The experience they will gain through highly competitive matches within a multi-format schedule will be really exciting, and hopefully invaluable for them in accelerating their development. A tour to Australia is what so many young cricketers dream of, and we wish them well."England Women A T20 squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A 50-over squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A four-day squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)T20 match schedule (All matches at Hurstville Oval, 1pm local time, 2am UK time):Wednesday 26 March 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 1st T20Friday 28 March 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 2nd T20Sunday 30 March 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 3rd T2050-over matches (at Cricket Central, 10.30am local time, 00.30am UK time):Wednesday 2 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 1st matchFriday 4 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 2nd matchMonday 7 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 3rd matchFour-day match: Saturday 12 April-Tuesday 15 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A four-day match (Cricket Central, 9.30am local time, 00.30am UK time).

Lahore (PR): The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 27-day training camp for the Pakistan women cricketers in Multan to prepare for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2025. The camp will begin on Sunday, 2 February at the Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre, while the players and support staff will assemble on Saturday.A total of 31 players, including PCB’s 16 centrally contracted women cricketers, have been invited to the training camp, which involves regular sessions on fitness training, skill enhancement and seven 50-over practice matches throughout the month of February.The players will use the high-quality facilities available at the Inzamam-ul-Haq High-Performance Centre, while the matches will be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Head coach of Pakistan Women’s team and former Test cricketer Mohammad Wasim, who took up the role in July 2024, will lead the camp.Pakistan will feature in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers along with Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies, in a bid to qualify for the mega event. The finalists of the tournament will join the top six teams of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 for the eight-team ICC Women’s World Cup.List of players invited to the camp:Batters – Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Gull Rukh, Hafsa Khalid, Iram Javed, Natalia Parvaiz, Sadaf Shamas, Saira Jebeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, and Sidra Amin.Wicketkeepers – Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi and Sidra NawazAll-rounders – Fatima Sana, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Syeda Aroob Shah, and Tuba HassanSpinners – Ghulam Fatima, Mahnoor Aftab, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal, Tania Saeed, and Umm-e-HaniPacers – Diana Baig, Fatima Khan, Tasmia Rubab, Waheeda Akhtar and Zaib-un-Nisa Niaz.    

Sports Bulletin ReportMelbourne (Australia): England Women were bowled out for 170 on day one of the one-off Test in the Women's Ashes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Nat Sciver-Brunt top scored for England with 51 while leg-spinner Alana King took 4-45 as England were all out inside 72 overs.Maia Bouchier and captain Heather Knight were dismissed by Kim Garth before a stand of 50 between Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley saw England rebuild but King and fellow spinner Ash Gardner took four wickets.England then bowled 22 overs and Australia lost debutant Georgia Voll to Lauren Bell. Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland reached 56-1 at the close of play with the hosts trailing by 114 runs. Play resumes at 2.30 pm local time tomorrow (Friday 31 January).