Commonwealth Games 2022: Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight shine as Barbados Women stun Pakistan by 15 runs

Barbados women defeated Pakistan by 15 runs in the second encounter on the opening day of the Commonwealth Games 2022 in the women's cricket event on Friday. Captain Hayley Matthews and wicket-keeper batter Kycia Knight were the star performers for the winning side as both the batters scored the fifties while from Pakistan's side Nida Dar's unbeaten fifty in just 31 balls was the only impressive innings.

Barbados won the toss and opted to bat first. After a poor start where Deandra Dottin was dismissed for eight by Diana Baig, Knight joined  Matthews and stitched a crucial partnership. The partnership bloomed from 50 to 100. Matthews was sent back by Fatima Sana for 51 in 50 balls. Knight was joined by her twin sister Kyshona Knight and the latter departed for 9. Kycia gave Barbados the much-needed finishing touch. For Pakistan, Sana picked two wickets but leaked runs at an economy above 10. Interestingly, Baig who picked one wicket was given just two overs. 

Pakistan chasing 145 didn’t have the start they would have wished for as Shamilia Connell struck off the first ball dismissing Iram Javed for a golden duck. Both Omaima Sohail and Muneeba Ali got going well with a couple of boundaries, but soon Omaima was ran out on 10(14) and dot ball pressure with skipper, Bismah struggling saw Muneeba Ali depart for 17(18) and it was Hayley Matthews after impacting with the run-out, spinning out Ali. There came a much-needed welcomed boundary Bismah’s way but couldn’t continue as another run-out got her struggles to an end on 12(28).

Nida Dar got a couple of welcome boundaries and thankfully for Pakistan, she topped it with a much-needed 18-run-over off Connell, with Aliya Riaz struggling on the other end. A 50-run stand between the two was up off 35 balls as Pakistan edged past 100 in the 17th over. Aliya Riaz’s struggle on 14(24) saw curtains in the penultimate over and the final over had Nida Dar get to her 50 off 31 balls and Pakistan chasing 144 fall short by 15 runs. For Barbados, Hayley Matthews with 1-13 in 4 topped the wickets chart which saw Aaliyah, Connell and Deandra with one each follow.