ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020: Bismah Maroof leads the way as Pakistan begin campaign with thumping win over West Indies

Canberra: Skipper Bismah Maroof anchored the chase with an unbeaten 38-run knock as Pakistan thumped former champions West Indies by eight wickets in their opening match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Canberra on Wednesday.

Diana Baig's fierce spell of fast bowling exposed a struggling Windies top order as they posted 124 for seven, courtesy Stafanie Taylor (43) and Shemaine Campbelle (43).

Pakistan openers Javeria Khan and Muneeba Ali controlled the chase and put on 57, with captain Maroof's unbeaten 39 steering her side to a comfortable win with 10 balls to spare.

Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof celebrates her team's victory over West Indies at Canberra. Image credit: Twitter/@T20WorldCup

The Windies top order faltered and found themselves three wickets down within seven overs for the second game in succession.

Hayley Matthews, star of the 2016 Women's T20 World Cup final, fell for a diamond duck as Diana got the game's first ball to move in the air and rap the opener on the pads.

Lee-Ann Kirby's stand-and-deliver approach yielded three quick boundaries as she lofted Aiman Anwar for four over mid off and then through cover in the fourth over.

But she perished in the first delivery of the fifth over, Diana enticing another heave from the opener who skewed a catch to Muneeba Ali running back at point, departing for 16.

Deandrea Dottin's troubled stay at the crease ended when she tried to drag Nida Dar from outside off-stump over long on and could only pick out Iram Javed, departing for one from 10 balls.

Experienced duo of Taylor and Campbelle steadied the ship, the captain improving on the disappointing strike rotation last time out before Campbelle cleared the midwicket rope off Dar.

Campbelle missed an attempted reverse sweep off Anam Amin and while given not out on-field, Bismah's referral adjudged her lbw for 43.

Taylor put her foot down in the 18th over, carting Aiman's low full toss over midwicket and just clearing the long on boundary off Nida before picking out Diana on the cow corner fence for 43 from 47 balls.

Pakistan's opening pair were cautious at the start of their reply, with thick edges wide of the slip cordon yielding three boundaries inside the first four overs as they reached 28.

Henry's medium pace caused few problems as Javeria cut and then pulled her to the rope and Muneeba got in on the act with a firm drive as the over went for 14 runs.

Taylor turned to spin after the Powerplay but Javeria was well set, picking boundaries off Matthews and then twice from Afy Fletcher.

It took the Windies skipper herself to remove Javeria, who misjudged the length of a straight one and departed lbw for a well-made 35.

Muneeba, whose opening partnership of 58 with Javeria was Pakistan's highest first-wicket stand in the tournament, failed to pick Fletcher's googly on 25 and could only chip to Anisa Mohammed at midwicket.

Bismah took 24 balls to find her first boundary but continued to use her sweep well to spin and scored heavily behind square, Nida offering composed support with mistakes from Taylor and Chedean Nation symptomatic of a disappointing Windies fielding display.

Pakistan were untroubled in the closing stages, Bismah hitting the winning boundary as her partnership of 50 with Bismah paved the way for a memorable win.

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Updated Date: Feb 26, 2020 19:22:43 IST