KARACHI: Captain Rameen Shamim’s all-round heroics powered Challengers to a thrilling four-wicket win over Stars in their second-round clash of the National Women’s T20 Tournament on Thursday at the Oval Academy Ground.
After claiming 2-17 with the ball, Rameen returned to seal the chase with a match-winning 21 off just 12 balls*, including a six in the final over. Chasing 118, Challengers reached the target in 19.2 overs, marking their first victory in the tournament.
Opener Sadaf Shamas top-scored with a brisk 32, while Natalia Parvaiz (18) and Aliya Riaz (17) chipped in. For Stars, Tuba Hassan stood out with 3-26.
Stars, opting to bat first, posted 116/7, with *Sidra Nawaz (27)**, Sidra Amin (23), and Tuba Hassan (22) making key contributions. Challengers’ bowling was led by Rameen and Zaib-un-Nisa, who took two wickets each.
In the other second-round match at the National Bank Stadium, Strikers opened their account with a seven-wicket victory over Invincibles, chasing down 135 with five balls to spare.
Invincibles rode on a strong start from Saiqa Riaz, who smashed 58 off 49 (8 fours, 1 six), and Muneeba Ali (31), their opening pair adding 80 runs. However, the middle-order faltered as Umm-e-Hani (3-18) and Zunash Abdul Sattar (2-17) tightened the screws, restricting them to 134-7.
In reply, Strikers’ skipper Gull Feroza anchored the chase with a composed 41 off 38, sharing a 69-run partnership with Zoofishan Ayyaz (29). The finishing touches came from Eyman Fatima, who stole the show with an unbeaten 42 off 31 balls (6 fours, 1 six), earning her the player-of-the-match award.
Scores in Brief:
Challengers beat Stars by 4 wickets
Stars 116/7 (20 overs): Sidra Nawaz 27*, Sidra Amin 23, Tuba Hassan 22; Rameen Shamim 2-17, Zaib-un-Nisa 2-24
Challengers 117/6 (19.2 overs): Sadaf Shamas 32, Rameen Shamim 21*; Tuba Hassan 3-26
Strikers beat Invincibles by 7 wickets
Invincibles 134/7 (20 overs): Saiqa Riaz 58, Muneeba Ali 31; Umm-e-Hani 3-18, Zunash Abdul Sattar 2-17
Strikers 135/3 (19.1 overs): Eyman Fatima 42*, Gull Feroza 41, Zoofishan Ayyaz 29
