Right. Time to draw the curtain on this game. Australia were awesome, Pakistan less so – though there is an unfair division of resources. We’ll be back tomorrow for England v West Indies at Lord’s. Till then, bye!
Fatima Sana’s voice is breaking.”We need more players” is her plea.
Sophie Molineaux “A nice crowd, a beautiful night for cricket and we enjoyed the win. captaincy has been really enjoyable especially if we keep churning out performances like that. “ Churning?
“We had a massive power play, people are stepping up. Even though we’ve had a couple of strong wins we haven’t ticked everything off.” Bad luck. everyone – they’ve got power to add.
For a beautifully-paced innings of 71 and two wickets in her one over.
“We felt like it [Headingley] was a good place to bat and just wanted to keep taking the play. A nice time to bat. We wanted to push on to around 200 and got there and there abouts. Probably could have been more polished as well. I really enjoy all the challenges that cricket throws at you.
“Pakistan’s intent was really great and challenged us at times.”
A fourth win for Australia, a fourth defeat for Pakistan. And Australia’s net run rate perks up yet further to 4.72. Fatima Sana has her hands on her hips talking to the Pakistan coaches and looks thoroughly miserable.
All over with more than six overs to spare. Moments of possibility there for Pakistan but some truly shambolic running gave them no chance.
A bog standard thick edge.
13.4 overs: Pakistan 86 (Diana 1) The Leeds sky is looking rather beautiful as the sun drops to the horizon. Fatima tucks into a short ball that bounces invitingly and pulls four. But that’s the last shot in anger as the innings finally gurgles down the plughole.
An ambitious welly, a top edge, into the waiting gloves of Mooney.
13th over: Pakistan 81-8 (Fatima 13, Diana 1) Wareham, red soles, white shoes. Diana digs her out. Wareham thinks she’s got an lbw, but I’m not sure anyone else does – and the third umpire agrees.
12th over: Pakistan 79-8 (Fatima 12, Diana 1) Gardner again. Three singles and an (unlucky) wide.
11th over: Pakistan 75-8 (Fatima 10)
Holy moly – three in the game. Shamim ticks Molineaux to short midwicket, but there’s yet another mix-up with the non-striker. she’s sent back to her fate. The dug out is an orchestra of eye rolls and heads in hands.
Goes back to try. glide the ball down to short third but gets stuck and the ball hits the shoulder of the bat before looping through to Mooney.
10th over: Pakistan 74-6 (Fatima 9, Shamim 0) Two wickets in the over for Perry- the supreme competitor. Some compensation for Pakistan in the form of two successive fours by Fatima Sana – one from a King misfield.
And that’s pulled the plug. Muneeba goes for it, pulls at Perry’s first ball. can only deposit it into the hands of Gardner at deep midwicket.
9th over: Pakistan 65-4 (Muneeba 32, Aliya 7) Alana King’s first over, but Aliya doesn’t hang around. cuts – the ball runs away from Voll all the way to the rope. It’s kick off in the football, but the Leeds crowd are still pretty invested in this.
8th over: Pakistan 50-4 (Muneeba 30, Aliya 1) Sutherland now, long, long legs, pony tail, cute little hoop earrings. A wide for height, a couple of singles and a thick outside edge brings Muneeba four.
7th over: Pakistan 50-4 (Muneeba 25, Aliya 0) Wareham on the money immediately and second ball, Iram is gone. A wicket maiden. Fatima Sana sits in the dugout, stares into the distance and chews, chews on her gum.
Makes room and… bottom edges into her own stumps. Iram is furious with herself and mutters off the pitch.
6th over: Pakistan 50-3 (Muneeba 25. Iram 14) Fabulous from Iram, who fires three successsive fours off Ash Gardner’s first three balls. Classic clean hitting. Gardner squats down to consider her options. Just one from the next three. And that tops off a pretty hot power play from Pakistan – dopey run outs excluded.
5th over: Pakistan 37-3 (Muneeba 25. Iram 1 ) Pakistan really are making this difficult for themselves – two needless run outs Muneera takes it out on Hamilton, woofing her for four through midwicket. A couple of wides from Hamilton and eight from the over.
Oh dear. Ayesha plays tip and run but unfortunately has hit the ball straight to the fielder. Muneeba sends her back and she’s out by a string of beans.
4th over: Pakistan 30-2 (Muneeba 21, Ayesha 0 ) Four behind square for Muneeba. Ooof and now Beth Mooney is in real pain. She gets a glove to a glance from Muneeba but can’t hold on – the ball rattles down for two. Mooney is doubled over in agony. The physio runs on but, hard as nails, Mooney isn’t keen on coming off. Ice creams all round in the crowd as was wait to see if Mooney can be patched up. She is and next ball Muneba swivel-pulls Garth on one knee for SIX!
3rd over: Pakistan 18-2 (Muneeba 9, Ayesha 0 ) Molineaux replaces Hamilton SAira gets a thick outside edge which skits away for four. she doesn’t last much longer. Still – she was told to go did swing, which was what she did. A huge lbw appeal from Molineaux against Ayesha, but Sue Redfern isn’t having any of it.
Deep midwicket barely has to move as Saira has a big swing but can’t make the rope.
2nd over: Pakistan 13-1 (Muneeba 9, Saira 1) Garth from the Kirkstall Lane end. Starts with a dot but Muneeba flays a square cut high and mighty for four. Disastrous run out is followed by a nasty blow to Mooney on her index finger. But she soldiers on, huge white gauntlets her protection.
Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, arghghgh. Disaster. Feroza miserably takes off her helmet in the dugout and gets a consoling hand on her arm.
1st over: Pakistan 2-0 (Muneeba 1, Feroza 1) No wicket off Hamilton’s first ball, so advantage Pakistan! They steal three singles. Two thirds of Headingley has now fallen into shadow but the skies is a childlike shade of blue.
And they’re already primed to go at Headingley – for the final innings at Leeds in this World Cup. Pakistan need 200 to win.
“This is an epic recovery from Pakistan,” writes Dean Kinsella. “I thought Australia might be aiming for close to 250 at one stage. Now, 200 looks good.”
I agree, they really hauled it back well. Lots of chat on comms about how these two sides compete in different worlds – the Australians professionalised over ten years ago. have a thriving WBBL. Pakistan don’t yet have a women’s competition. It’s chalk and cheese.
Time to grab a quick drink of water, back shortly.
20th over: Australia 199-7 (Carey 26, King 5 ) Fatima with the last over,. she restricts Australia to five off the first three balls, but then King tucks into something loose down the leg side and hauls it for four. King then misses a hurled bouncer but unforunately so does the keeper and the ball trundles down for four byes. The last ball is another short ball in fury, which King also misses, and this time the keeper takes. Pakistan restrict the Aussies to under 200 and that’s a pretty decent fightback – albeit an imposing total.
19th over: Australia 186-7 (Carey 21. King 1 ) A terrible bit of fielding as the ball shimmies through fine leg’s legs, is followed by the wicket of Molineaux. Carey wants to finish with a flourish and charges Sadia, nicking behind for four.
Sadia gets the captain! Greedy for more boundaries, Molineux misses a pull and loses her middle stump.
18th over: Australia 174-6 (Carey 14, Molineaux 1 ) Fatima Sana’s first ball is ramped by Perry like a pro, but she gets her revenge. sends her hero – and soon to be Birmingham Phoenix teammate - back to the dugout. Carey keeps the boundaries flowing though, dishing four through the covers.
A bouncer from Fatima Sana,, Perry pulls, misses, but it looks like Perry has an edge. Sue Redfern isn’t interested, but Pakistan are and review. Snicko says yes and the catch passes the test too.
Discussion
Sign in to join the thread, react, and share images.