Sri Lanka robbed of victory in first match:

Pakistan women win Quadrangular

Dilanka Mannakkara

Rain was the ultimate winner as Sri Lanka were robbed of victory in their game against minnows Netherlands as toss of a coin decided that Netherlands went through to the final. The organizers and Management should surely have not played four games including a final in one day and poor organizing and not having a reserve day cost Sri Lanka a possible series win.

Knowing about the rainy weather the SLC should surely have had a reserve day considering four international teams were playing in the tournament.

Persistent rain meant that none of the matches in the women’s Twenty20 Quadrangular Series between Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Netherlands and Ireland lasted a full 40 overs.

Pakistan women won the final after a nine-over match against Netherlands. They had got there after beating Ireland on the Duckworth-Lewis method, while Netherlands’ first match against Sri Lanka was abandoned after one over of Sri Lanka’s innings, and got through to the final by virtue of toss of a coin. Netherlands got to 46 for 8 in 13 overs against Sri Lanka in their first match, but Sri Lanka’s innings only lasted one over before rain forced the game to be called off and Lanka were 13 for no loss. The third-place playoff was abandoned without a ball being bowled. It must have been a bitter pill to swallow for the SLC and the team.

Pakistan scraped to 53 for 7 in nine overs in the final, after being put into bat. There were only six boundaries in their innings, with Javeria Khan and Bismah Maroof hitting three each.

Evelien Gerrits finished with figures of 3 for 13. In reply, Netherlands could not manage a single boundary in their innings, and got to just 41 despite losing only one wicket. Their openers stayed together till the eighth over, but only managed a 30-run partnership.

All of Pakistan’s bowlers were economical; Qanita Jalil and Masooma Junaid both gave away five runs each in two overs, while Sana Mir finished with 1 for 4 from her two. Netherlands would have won the game comfortably if it was a full quota 20 over game.

In their first game, Pakistan put Ireland into bat and Jalil was impressive then as well, taking 2 for 9 as Ireland managed only 75 in their 20 overs. Pakistan’s openers scored 37 in 7.2 overs, and they were 15 runs ahead on the Duckworth Lewis method at that stage.