Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Saba and Asiya guided her team to victory against Bannu by taking three wickets each against Bannu in the final of the Inter-Zonal Women Cricket Championship played under the aegis of Directorate of Higher Education Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University on Friday.

Both Saba and Asiya grabbed three wickets each at the time when Bannu was aiming to make a huge target after being elected to bat first.

Saba took three wickets for 18 runs in her three overs spell while Asiya got three wickets for 22 runs in her three overs spell. Earlier, Peshawar skipper Asiya Khan won the toss and invited Bannu to bat first. Bannu played well and set up a good 93-run target for the loss of three wickets with skipper Naseem again making a good 35 runs including four boundaries and two sixes. Overall Naseem of Bannu, who used to play cricket with her brothers at home, made 172 runs in four matches and was the highest scorer.

Naseem made a cracking 35 runs against strong Peshawar bowling, 56 runs in the first match against Hazara, 44 runs against Malakand, and 37 runs against Mardan, and played a key role in steering Bannu to reach the final.

As a team captain, Naseem is also a right-arm pacer as she bowled well and grabbed overall 10 wickets, two against Peshawar, three wickets each against Hazara and Malakand and two against Mardan in the Championship.

Shazia and wicket-keeper batter Abida made 23 and 21 runs laced with three boundaries each while Faryal and Jeveria scored 11 and 10 runs not out.

In reply, Peshawar, a strong team of the Championship, chased the target for the loss of four wickets with Bakhtawar and Naila provided a 52 runs opening wicket stand. Bakhtawar made 33 runs and Naila made 19 runs. Bakhtawar hit a cracking four boundaries and one six while Naila smashed three boundaries. Asiya and Rahat scored 11 and 9 runs while Zahra and Maliaka remained not out for 7 and 8 runs respectively. Thus Peshawar chased the target for the loss of four wickets. Naseem took two wickets while Javeria and Sania got one wicket each.

In the other matches Mardan first defeated Hazara by two eight wickets in the last leg of the match before playing the third position against Malakand. Hazara skipper Marwa won the toss and elected to bat first by setting up only 61 runs target in the eight overs with Aleesha, Kiran, Fizza scoring 21, 13, and 11 runs respectively. For Mardan Ghazala and Nayyub took two wickets each while Aiman, Husna and Iqra got one wicket each.

In reply, Mardan chased the target for the loss of two wickets with skipper Nayyab and Ghazala were the key contributors. Nayyab made an elegant knock of 30 runs including three boundaries and as many sixes while Ghazala scored 20 runs not out. Husna and Iqra went on to score. For Hazara Kiran and Fizza got one wicket each.

In the third position match Malakand gave a tough resistance to Mardan. Mardan made 84 runs with Nayyab, Aiman, Husna and Iqra were the main contributors. Nayyab scored 21 runs, Aiman (16), Husna (17) and Iqra not out 18 runs. For Malakand Rafaqat, the promising player, took three wickets, Shabnam, Eman took one wicket each.

In reply, Malakand, a team of the Governor Girls Degree College Thana, qualified from Malakand Region, skipper Rafaqat hammered an elegant knock of 37 runs including three towering sixes and as many boundaries, Misba, Huma also played well and made 21 runs and 17 runs respectively. In the last over Malakand needed four runs for victory but a good over from Nayyab, Malakand lost the positional match by just one run as Aman took two runs only in that last over. Thus Mardan got third position in the Championship, Malakand took fourth position and Hazara remained at fifth.

At the end, Deputy Director Sports HED Arshad Hussain and Manager Operation PCB Haseena Khushboo, along with organizing Secretary Najma Qazi gave away trophies and cash prizes.