Ramharack (4/15) spins Windies past Pakistan by a run

Off-spinner Karishma Ramharack put in a career-best performance of four for 15 as she helped to bowl the West Indies women to an exciting last-ball, one-run win in the first Twenty/20 (T20) against Pakistan at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on April 26.

The Windies made a modest total of 122 for nine in their 20 overs, with opener Qiana Joseph top-scoring with 34 and former captain Stafanie Taylor chipping in with a valuable knock of 30. Windies women's captain Hayley Matthews, who ascended to top of the women's game by copping the International Cricket Council (ICC) women's T20 Player of the Year award for 2023, was dismissed with the second ball of the game by Sadia Iqbal (two for 23) for duck.

Joseph and Taylor gave the Windies' innings impetus and stability with their 55-run partnership for the third wicket, though, and their contribution proved imperative to the regional team's gripping win.

Fifteen overs into their reply, the hosts looked to be in cruise control as they were well-positioned on 87 for four. They required 36 runs from the last 30 balls at that stage. By the end of the 17th over, the home team's score was pushed to 103 four, with Aliya Riaz (12) and captain Nida Dar (27 off 24 balls) inching closer to the West Indies' modest total.

Pakistan needed 20 runs off 18 balls to clinch victory, but Ramharack literally turned the game on its head with a terrific 18th over which saw her ripping through the home team's middle order with three scalps.

Riaz was the first to be dismissed in the over, as she offered a simple catch to Cherry-Ann Fraser, while Fatima Sana was sent back to the pavilion off the very next ball when she chopped a delivery onto her stumps to give the Trinidad and Tobago bowler her third wicket.

Ramharack's dream day wasn't done there, though, and she dismissed the set Dar off the very last ball of her spell to blow the game wide open – claiming her first four-wicket haul in the format in the process. The hosts slipped to 105 for seven at the end of the 18th over.

With 18 runs needed off the last two overs, the hosts got six runs from the penultimate over from Aaliyah Alleyne to push their score to 111 for seven – leaving them needing 12 off the final over from Shamilia Connell.

Off the penultimate ball of the game, wicket-keeper/batter Najiha Alvi smashed a Connell ball into the cover boundary to take the hosts' score to 121 for seven. Pakistan needed two runs off the last ball to snatch the win.

Drama ensued off the last ball of the game, as Tuba Hasan was run out by wicket-keeper Shemaine Campbelle when she and Alvi tried to scamper through for a single to salvage a tie.

Earlier, Sana (three for 24) and Iqbal did their best to restrict the West Indies to 122 and also limited the impact of the free-scoring Matthews. However, a brilliant spell from Ramharack and tight bowling by the Caribbean team secured their fourth straight victory on the tour. The Windies wrapped a 3-0 One-day international series win on Tuesday. Ramharack was named Player-of-the-Match.

The second match of the T20 series will bowl off from 10.30 am on Sunday.

Summarised Scores:

WEST INDIES – 122/9 (Qiana Joseph 34, Stafaine Taylor 30, Afy Fletcher 13; Fatima Sana 3/24, Sadia Iqbal 2/23) vs PAKISTAN – 121/8 (Nida Dar 27, Sidra Ameen 23, Muneeba Ali 18; Karishma Ramharack 4/15, Hayey Matthews 1/16). West Indies won by one run.