Pakistan women’s cricket team leaving a legacy Down Under as they beat New Zealand in a thrilling super over
The Pakistan women's cricket team achieved their first-ever away One Day International (ODI) victory against New Zealand on Monday.
The match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch concluded with a captivating super-over showdown, where Pakistan emerged triumphant with a slender three-run margin. Aliya Riaz's remarkable batting performance led to a 12-run target in the super-over, and Sadia Iqbal's bowling prowess limited New Zealand to eight runs, securing the historic win for Pakistan.
Despite this win, New Zealand claimed the overall series victory, winning 2-1. Pakistan faced early setbacks in their pursuit of a 252-run target, losing Muneeba Ali and Sidra Ameen for just 37 runs. However, Bismah Maroof and Aliya Riaz's 101-run partnership revived Pakistan's chances. Maroof top-scored with 68 runs and earned the Player of the Match title. Fatima Sana and Natalia Pervaiz's quick contributions brought Pakistan close to the target.
Facing eight runs off six balls in the last over with one wicket remaining, Najiha Alvi's crucial efforts helped Pakistan level the game, preventing a whitewash. In the first innings, New Zealand set a competitive target of 252 runs, with Amelia Kerr and Maddy Green playing pivotal roles, scoring 77 and 65 runs, respectively.
Pakistan are now ranked No. 2 in the ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 with 16 points, just behind top-placed Australia. Earlier, Pakistan won the three-match T20I series 2-1 to become the first Asian side to defeat New Zealand in a T20I series.