Aliya, Muneeba star as Pakistan thrash UAE in Women’s Asia Cup

SYLHET: Aliya Riaz and Muneeba Ali led the charge of Pakistan batting as the Green Shirts thumped the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 71 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup 2022, here on Sunday. 

Aliya starred with a brilliant half-century as she blasted 57 off 36, laced with five fours and three sixes, aiding Pakistan to raise a respectable total of 145/5 after they were put to bat by UAE.

Set to chase 148, UAE batters put up an impressive show and consumed too many dot balls as they only managed 74/5 in the allotted 20 overs.

For Pakistan Sadia Iqbal, Aiman Anwer, Nashra Sandhu and Omaima Sohail took a scalp each.

Earlier in the first innings, Muneeba played a cautious knock of 43 off 45 amid a dismal show by the top-order as opener Sidra Ameen (2), skipper Bismah Maroof (7) and Omaima Sohail (0) fell cheaply on a paltry total of 41.

Muneeba was then joined by Aliya on the crease and moved the scoreboard to 77 before  Esha Oza dismissed Muneeba in the 14th over. 

All-rounder Nida Dar, on the other hand, played a superb cameo of unbeaten 25 off 17 balls as she combined excellently with Aliya for the seventh-wicket partnership of 67 runs and took the national team to a comfortable position in the game.

For UAE, Oza remained phenomenal with the balls as she produced the remarkable bowling figures of 3/22, while Mahika Gaur and Vaishnave Mahesh took a scalp each.

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