Shaiza-inspired Pakistan surpass Dutch women by two wickets

Shaiza Khan, the Pakistan captain, gave a magnificent all-round performance to lead Pakistan women to yet another close victory against the visiting Netherlands. After claiming four wickets with her leg breaks, she scored a valuable 30 with the bat to help her side reach the 167-run target for the loss of eight wickets.

Coming to the crease after Pakistan had lost six wickets for 97, Shaiza applied herself to the task as she added 49 for the eighth wicket with Batool Fatima to see her side through. She was the eighth woman out for Pakistan at the score of 165. However, she had done the damage by then.

The heroics by Shaiza apart, Pakistan owed their success to an excellent 55-run opening partnership between Zehmurad Afzal (20 off 43 balls) and Rabia Khan (21 off 59 balls). These two played with command and authority, defying the variable Dutch attack for as many as 15 overs.

Another factor which led to Pakistan's success was the number of extras given away by the Dutch bowlers. After a wayward performance in the first two matches, they bowled another 59 wides in a total of 63 extras, thus doing great damage to their cause.

Earlier, the Dutch openers, Koster and Tanke, started confidently, producing the highest partnership so far of the series. They played shots to all parts of the ground, adding 66 in about 19 overs. Both got 34; however, Koster was more aggressive than her partner taking 57 balls (5 fours) to score her runs against her partner's 99 balls.

After the dismissal of Kostner at 66, Tanke continued undeterred, adding 30 for the second wicket with skipper Pauline te Beest (19 off 23 balls, 2 fours) and 13 for the third wicket with Salomons (ten off 12 balls, 1 four).

However, the fall of Tanke's wicket at 109 triggered a collapse in which seven wickets fell for the addition of just 30 runs, reducing the visitors to 139 for nine by the end of the 43rd over.

It was up to the last-wicket pair of van Leeuwen and Molenaarto bring a much-needed respectability to the score. Batting with command and authority, especially against the Pakistan pace attack, they gathered a valuable 27 runs for the last wicket before Molenaar was caught by Rabia Khan off Khursheed Jabeen for 11. Van Leeuwen remained unbeaten on 15 (24 balls) which contained one four.

The Pakistan skipper Shaiza Khan proved their main destroyer as she produced yet another remarkable display of leg spin bowling. After taking a five-wicket haul only yesterday, she got another bag of four wickets for 33 in her ten overs.

Shaiza was ably supported by the 12-year-old Sajjida Shah. After displaying her batting skills in the previous two matches, being declared player of the match in the first one-dayer, she surprised everyone with her magnificent skill of off break bowling.

Bowling with a lot of flight she accounted for four Dutch batswomen, giving away a mere 22 in her quota of ten overs. Khursheed Jabeen and Kiran Baluch took one wicket each for 24 and 37 runs respectively.

Shaiza Khan was duly acknowledged for her match-winning performance by being declared the player of the match.

Pakistan now lead the seven-match series three-nil. The fourth match will be played on Saturday, 14 April.