Pakistan women edge Thailand in Asian Games quarter-final to reach semis
Pakistan Women survived a late scare from Thailand to win the Asian Games women's cricket quarter-final in Nisshin on Thursday, chasing 92 in a rain-reduced 11-over contest and sealing a three-wicket victory with two balls to spare.
The match was reduced to 11 overs per side after a delay caused by a wet outfield, leaving both teams little margin for error in a short-format contest. The result continued recent meetings between the sides: Pakistan had beaten Thailand in the group stage of the Women's Asia Cup earlier this month by 35 runs after posting 119 for nine.
Thailand were set back early when Natthakan Chantham fell to Fatima Sana in the second over, caught by Ayesha Zafar for six off five balls, leaving them seven for one. Phannita Maya and Nannapat Koncharoenkai then rebuilt with a 65-run partnership for the second wicket; Maya later retired out for 15 off 16 balls, bringing that stand to 72 in the ninth over. Koncharoenkai scored 49 off 38 balls, striking seven fours before Fatima Sana removed her lbw in the 11th over, and Thailand closed on 91 for four.
Pakistan began their chase aggressively as Gull Feroza and Shawaal Zulfiqar put on 36 in 3.5 overs for the opening wicket, Zulfiqar racing to 25 from 14 balls with three fours and a six and Pakistan 33 without loss after three overs. Thailand struck back when Onnicha Kamchomphu dismissed Zulfiqar in the fourth over and then removed Aliya Riaz and Feroza in the space of four deliveries in the sixth over; Feroza made 16 from 13 balls and Riaz four. Suleeporn Laomi then had Ayesha Zafar caught for one, leaving Pakistan 39 for two.
Fatima Sana provided brisk runs in the middle order, finishing 21 off 13 balls with three fours and a six, but her dismissal to Phannita Maya left Pakistan 73 for four and needing 19 from 18 deliveries. At one stage Pakistan required 44 runs from the final four overs, a position that had Thailand appearing to be in control before the late surge.
The contest swung in the eighth over when Fatima Sana attacked Kamchomphu, hitting three fours and a six, and Eyman Fatima finished the over with another six in a 25-run over that reshaped the chase. Kamchomphu finished with three for 37 from her three overs; Sunida Chaturongrattana took two for 23. After Fatima's dismissal, Eyman Fatima fell for seven and Tuba Hassan struck 13 from seven balls, including a four and a six, before being dismissed and leaving Pakistan needing four from the final over with three wickets in hand.
Eman Naseer and Umm-e-Hani collected four successive singles from the first four deliveries of the final over to complete the chase with two balls to spare. Thailand Women: 91/4 (11 overs) — Nannapat Koncharoenkai 49, Phannita Maya 15; Fatima Sana 2/22, Nashra Sandhu 1/19. Pakistan Women: 92/7 (10.4 overs) — Shawaal Zulfiqar 25, Fatima Sana 21, Gull Feroza 16; Onnicha Kamchomphu 3/37, Sunida Chaturongrattana 2/23. Result: Pakistan Women won by 3 wickets with 2 balls remaining.
Pakistan's victory sent them into the semi-finals, while Thailand were left to reflect on another strong showing against a full-member opponent.