West Indies crush Pakistan to maintain unbeaten run in T20I Tri-Series
By Nawaz Gohar : A masterclass in all-round cricket by Chinelle Henry propelled the West Indies to a commanding 25-run victory over Pakistan in the second match of the T20I tri-series at Castle Avenue on Friday.
Henry backed up a blistering, unbeaten 33-run cameo with an exceptional spell of 2/13, ensuring the Caribbean side remained undefeated in the Ireland-hosted tournament.
Chasing a mammoth target of 200, Pakistan’s Women in Green struggled to find their footing early on, ultimately finishing their 20 overs at 174/8 to drop their opening fixture of the series.
Pakistan’s pursuit of 200 got off to a disastrous start, with the team losing three crucial wickets within the first four overs with a meager 28 runs on the board.
Hoping to ignite a counterattack, Saira Jabeen struck a quickfire 30 off just 19 balls. However, her aggressive cameo was cut short by Ashmini Munisar on the final delivery of the powerplay, dissolving a 24-run partnership with Rameen Shamim.
Shamim then looked to rebuild alongside middle-order batter Iram Javed, putting together 32 runs for the fourth wicket before a disastrous lapse in communication saw both batters run out in quick succession.
With Pakistan reeling at 112/6 in 13.5 overs, veteran all-rounder Aliya Riaz joined captain Fatima Sana in the middle. The duo showed tremendous resilience, knitting together a 27-run stand. Aliya emerged as Pakistan’s top scorer, striking a resilient 28-ball 37 laced with eight boundaries, before falling to Jahzara Claxton in the 17th over.
Captain Fatima Sana played a spirited skipper’s knock, smashing 27 off 14 balls—including two towering sixes and two boundaries—before perishing on the second ball of the final over. With 30 needed off the final four deliveries, Shawnisha Hector held her nerve, conceding just four runs to comfortably seal the win for the West Indies.
Earlier in the day, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews vindicated her decision to bat first as the former champions posted a formidable 199/6. Despite none of their batters cross the half-century mark, a collective, high-tempo effort overwhelmed the Pakistani bowling attack.
Matthews herself provided the initial fireworks, blasting a rapid 40 off just 20 deliveries before Diana Baig induced an edge on the final ball of the fifth over, leaving the score at 57/1. Pakistan briefly clawed their way back into the contest when Nashra Sandhu and Rameen Shamim dismissed Deandra Dottin (17) and Qiana Joseph (4) in back-to-back overs, reducing the Windies to 66/3.
However, the experienced Stafanie Taylor completely shifted the momentum back to the Caribbean side, hammering a blistering 39 off 23 balls, featuring four boundaries and two sixes.
Though Taylor and partner Jahzara Claxton fell in consecutive overs midway through the innings to leave the score at 122/5, the West Indies lower-middle order refused to back down.
Jannillea Glasgow and Chinelle Henry combined for a devastating 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Glasgow played the role of the primary aggressor, striking 42 off 25 balls before an agonizing run-out cut her brilliant innings short. Henry provided the perfect finishing touch, remaining unbeaten on 33 off just 17 balls.
For Pakistan, Nashra Sandhu and Rameen Shamim were the pick of the bowlers with two wickets apiece, while Diana Baig endured a tough outing, finishing with figures of 1/58 in her four overs. Pakistan will look to quickly dust themselves off and regroup as they face tournament hosts Ireland in their second fixture at the same venue on Sunday.
