In a low-scoring match, Pakistan defeated the Netherlands by 37 runs thanks to a half-century from Gull Feroza. Feroza held the first innings together to score 126 for Pakistan, their joint-highest score in this event, in a low-scoring match where momentum fluctuated.
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| In the middle overs, Gull Feroza gave Pakistan a boost |
Heather Siegers' brilliant start put the Netherlands on the path at first, but once she was removed, they drastically lost direction as Pakistan used spin to crush them. Fatima Sana returned to the attack to provide the coup de grace, smashing down the stumps three times in the penultimate over to send the Netherlands' final three batsmen on their way as they folded for 89. The final seven wickets fell for only 13 runs.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Pakistan overcame a lacklustre start with a 79-run second-wicket partnership between Feroza and Ayesha Zafar. However, Silver Siegers and Iris Zwilling—possibly the best of the Netherlands' attack—were the Netherlands' counterattack. They caused Pakistan to collapse, losing five wickets for twenty-four runs, including the early loss of Sana, who had risen to her highest T20I batting position of four. It put Pakistan back from what appeared to be a score of more than 140 to one that the Netherlands truly wanted to pursue.
The Netherlands appeared to have a chance to defeat Pakistan thanks to Heather Sieger's quick start, but once Diana Baig dismissed her, there wasn't much evidence to support her. The Dutch were suffocated by Pakistan's spinners, and the Netherlands started to retreat as the asking rate skyrocketed. In the end, a Dutch team that had promised so much more for the best part of this game gave up in a subdued manner.
Feroza is tall
One of the most difficult things in Pakistani cricket is trying to ignore the chaos around you, but Gull Feroza succeeded in doing just that. Feroza and Ayesha Zafar put on a 79-run partnership as Pakistan managed only a slow start and lost Muneeba Ali early. Throughout the second-wicket partnership, especially around the halfway point, she was the more assertive partner.
The attack began with two clever boundaries off Hannah Landheer in the tenth over and another pair against Heather Siegers in the next. Pakistan had their greatest batting burst between the tenth and fourteenth overs, thumping 36 in four. They had, courtesy of Feroza, built up just enough of a cushion to give their bowlers breathing room, even if they would shortly collapse.
The review that nearly wasn't
The Netherlands had a great start against South Africa on Thursday, and they knew that anything near that would almost certainly result in victory today as they aimed for 127. With the team scoring 31 runs in the first 20 balls, Heather Siegers started to threaten just that as she raced to 24 in 15. However, in what may have been the most important part of the game, Diana Baig bounced back from being smashed for two boundaries off her first two balls.
Siegers was smacked high on the pad after she failed to drive into the onside. Pakistan's feeble plea was quickly dismissed by the umpire, but Sana made a last-minute review, and Hawk-Eye spat out three reds. The Netherlands never regained that position of strength in the game after losing their brightest spark.
The Netherlands was swamped by Pakistan's spinners
After the Siegers left, the Dutch seemed to experience a slight pressure that they were never able to fully overcome. Eyman Fatima's direct hit in the next over caused a foolish effort at a single to result in a run-out. Except for a Sana over, Pakistan focused almost entirely on spin, hurrying through their overs while the asking rate increased. With a tight line that revealed nothing, Nashra Sandhu was most successful at suppressing the batters. With the Netherlands only managing 23 in seven overs following Siegers' ejection, she would ultimately record figures of 3-0-8-1 down the middle.
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