Nida shines in PCB Blasters’ win over PCB Challengers

KARACHI: Nida Dar hammered an unbeaten 93 as PCB Blasters recorded a two-wicket win over PCB Challengers in the Pakistan’s Cup one-day tournament here at the National Stadium on the final day of the group matches.

Both teams had already secured final berths. They meet in a day-night final on Tuesday (tomorrow) at the same venue.

Chasing 149, Nida did a fine job, hammering 13 fours in her unbeaten 117-ball stay at the crease to take PCB Blasters to the target with four overs to spare after losing eight wickets.

Noureen Yaqub made 21. Waheeda Akhtar got 3-18, while Pakistan pacer Diana Baig and Anoosha Nasir picked two wickets each.

Earlier, Challengers were folded for 148 in 49.3 overs after deciding to bat first.

Opener Sidra Amin scored 37-ball 19, while her fellow opener Fareeha Mehmood and Saba Nazir scored 18 each.

Blasters’ Samia Malik took 3- 27. Omaima Sohail’s off-spin accounted for two batters, while Nida returned one for 18 from 10 overs.

At the Oval Academy Ground, PCB Dynamites crashed to their sixth consecutive defeat as Jaweria Rauf’s 88 not out helped PCB Strikers win by seven wickets.

Player of the match Jaweria smashed eight fours from 138 balls and stitched a match-defining 102-run partnership for the second wicket with Hafsa Khalid, who fell short of a half-century by only three runs.

Strikers’ captain Kainat Imtiaz shone with ball after she elected to field. Her right-arm medium-pace brought her side three wickets at the cost of 30 runs from eight overs. Fatima Khan took 2-12.