Muneeba Ali is the first Pakistani woman who scored a hundred in the T20 matches history of the Green team. Wicket keeper-batter scored 102 with the help of 14 fours, she faced 68 deliveries and played a key role in a 70-run victory over Ireland in Pakistan’s first win of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. The Pakistan women’s team set a total of 165 for five after batting first. This decision came from the Irish captain, who won the toss and chose to field.

In response, Ireland faced difficulties as Nashra Sandhu claimed four wickets for 18 runs in her four overs. Despite Orla Prendergast and Eimear Richardson’s efforts, their contributions weren’t sufficient to prevent their second defeat.

Opener Muneeba was at the forefront for Pakistan, scoring 33 runs out of the 44-run partnership she and Javeria Khan formed for the first wicket. Unfortunately, Javeria was run out by Mary Waldron.

Captain Bismah Maroof could only add four runs to her previous score of 68 not out against India. Arlene Kelly managed to hold on to a low catch with her fingertips, reducing Pakistan to 55 for two. 

The wicket brought out Nida Dar, who unusually played the patient role next to Muneeba, who brought up her half-century from 40 balls by surviving the first of two drops by Louise Little. 

Muneeba began to put on show for the crowd, as she brought up Pakistan’s one hundred by pulling Laura Delany on one knee for the second of back-to-back boundaries. 

Nida wasn’t to be outdone, confidently stepping down the wicket to hit Cara Murray for a six. However, but she could only watch as Muneeba’s surpassed her own best score of 75, becoming Pakistan’s highest scorer in T20Is. 

With eight balls of the innings remaining, Muneeba brought up her maiden T20I hundred, the sixth scored in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups. 

In a thrilling over, the hundred partnership was achieved just a ball later. However, Muneeba’s impressive innings came to an end on 102 from 67 balls, caught off Leah Paul’s final delivery. She was greeted back to the dugout with a standing ovation and a warm hug from a smiling Bismah. 

Nida and Ayesha Naseem also fell in the final over but it did not remove the skipper’s smile as Pakistan set Ireland 166 to win. 

Ireland’s lost steady wickets due lapses of concentrations, starting with Amy Hunter, who departed in the second over as Nashra took a fine catch over her shoulder. 

Nida bowled four dot balls in a row and then had Gaby Lewis caught behind by Muneeba, who was never far from the action at Newlands. 

Prendergast gave Ireland a platform with a fluent 31, including back-to-back boundaries, but her luck ran out when she was caught by Sadia Iqbal for Nashra’s second wicket. 

Tuba Hassan then took her first World Cup wicket by dismissing Delany for eight. 

Richardson was searching for a partner, but could only watch on as Little was stumped by Muneeba for three. However, the right-hander began to find the boundary consistently, scoring 16 runs off Aliya Riaz’s first over.

However, she was next to depart when attempting a scoop, before Javeria caught  Waldron to give Nashra her best figures of four for 18 and reduce Ireland to 89 for seven. 

Unlike Ireland, Pakistan were sharp in the field, as Kelly departed for just one thanks to a low catch from Aiman Anwer. 

Murray and Paul were the final two victims as Pakistan wrapped up the victory with 21 balls remaining. 

Scores in brief 

Pakistan beat Ireland at Newlands, Cape Town by 70 runs 

Pakistan 165/5 in 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 102, Nida Dar 33; Arlene Kelly 2/27, Laura Delany 1/20) 

Ireland 95 all out in 16.3 overs (Orla Prendergast 31, Eimear Richardson 28; Nashra Sundhu 4/18, Nida Dar 2/5) 

Player of the Match: Muneeba Ali (Pakistan