Pakistan secured a 36-run victory over Thailand in their Women’s Asia Cup encounter in Dubai, overcoming a challenging pitch and a spirited bowling display from their opponents. Despite Thailand’s commendable effort to restrict Pakistan to 120/9, their own batting lineup struggled to chase the target, finishing on 84/8.
Thailand’s spinners dominated the early stages of the match, with Thipatcha Putthawong and Suleeporn Laomi claiming three wickets each. Putthawong set the tone with a two-wicket maiden, removing Shawaal Zulfiqar and Gull Feroza in consecutive deliveries. Phannita Maya further pressured Pakistan by dismissing Ayesha Zafar, leaving the team at 23/3 following a spectacular one-handed catch by Natthakan Chantam.
Muneeba Ali anchored the Pakistani innings, demonstrating patience and technical adjustment against the turning ball. She formed a crucial 54-run partnership with Sadaf Shamas to stabilize the score at 77. Muneeba eventually fell for 54 off 52 balls after being lured out of her crease by Laomi, who also dismissed captain Fatima Sana for a duck. Late contributions from Umm-e-Hani, who scored 17, and Tuba Hasan, who added a quick 12 off four balls, helped Pakistan reach their total of 120.
In response, Thailand’s chase faltered immediately. Sadia Iqbal struck twice in the second over, removing Phannita Maya and Nannapat Koncharoenkai. Although Naruemol Chaiwai and Natthakan Chantam attempted to rebuild with a 27-run stand, the scoring rate slowed significantly as wickets fell at regular intervals. The required run rate climbed to 50 runs off the final 16 balls, placing immense pressure on the middle order.
Chanida Sutthiruang provided a late spark with a fighting 25 off 24 balls, but she lacked sufficient support from the remaining batters. Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hasan were the standout bowlers for Pakistan, finishing with three and two wickets respectively. The result reflects Thailand’s growing competitiveness in the tournament, having previously challenged India and defeated Hong Kong, but their inability to build partnerships ultimately proved costly against the Pakistani attack.
The match highlighted the challenges of the slow, spin-friendly surface in Dubai. Pakistani batters often struggled to reach the pitch of the ball, leading to several dismissals from lofted shots. Conversely, Muneeba’s disciplined approach allowed her to counter the Thai spin threat effectively. Thailand’s bowlers continued to show their potential to trouble top-tier international sides, maintaining pressure throughout the innings before the Pakistani bowlers successfully defended the modest total. The report also notes that mohammad Abdullah, Senior Sports Reporter. The report also notes that after restricting Pakistani women to 120, Thailand failed to get over the line. The report also notes that chasing a paltry total, Thailand got off to a stuttering start. The report also notes that they failed to get the partnership going which stopped the flow runs. The report also notes that the asking went up to 50 needed off the last 16 balls. The report also notes that chanida Sutthiruang tried to revive the chase with a fighting 24-ball 25 but she did not get enough support from the other end. The report also notes that thailand could manage to muster 84/8 in their allotted overs. The report also notes that a spirited Thailand put up an impressive start to push Pakistan on the backfoot from the beginning.
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