New Zealand women clean sweep Pakistan in T20I series

SHARJAH - New Zealand women's cricketers have swept the T20 series against Pakistan winning the fourth and final game in Sharjah by seven wickets.

Not for the first time in the series, Pakistan got off to a decent start but then failed to kick on after Bismah Maroof elected to bat.

Nahida Khan and Sidra Ameen, the openers, put on 21 and Javeria Khan chipped in with a measured 36 from number three as Pakistan found itself reasonably placed at 51 for 3 at the end of 10 overs.

However, New Zealand clamped down on the scoring rate in the second half of the innings with the medium-paced duo of Rowe and Holly Huddleston in the forefront.

Rowe, who had picked up 3 for 18 in the third T20I on Sunday, returned figures of 3 for 22 this time, while Huddleston finished with two for 16, Pakistan managing just 38 runs in the last 10 overs.

Devine then began like a house on fire, peppering the boundary with an almost equally aggressive Satterthwaite for support.

Natalia Pervaiz felt the full fury of the New Zealand pair as her medium pace went for 18 in her only over, and by the time Anam Amin, the left-arm spinner, breached Devine’s defences, the match was as good as in the bag for the visiting side.

With the end imminent, Anwer trapped Satterthwaite in front for, and then had Suzie Bates, the captain, caught for six. But Maddy Green and Katey Martin saw New Zealand home without further damage.

Devine was named player of the match and player of the tournament.

New Zealand won the T20 internationals 4-nil. The White Ferns had also won the preceding three-match ODI series, which is part of the ICC Women’s Championship.

Their next series is against the West Indies in March.