Women’s World Cup: Rain plays spoilsport as England, Pakistan share points | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Rain denied Pakistan what could have been a memorable victory over four-time champions England, as the two sides ended up sharing points in an ICC Women’s World Cup encounter on Wednesday.Chasing a revised target of 113 in 31 overs after England had battled to 133/9 around the first rain interruption, Pakistan looked in control at 34 without loss in 6.4 overs when heavy rain forced the match to be abandoned.Earlier, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana produced a brilliant spell to restrict England, reducing them to 54/5 by the 10th over. Sana (4/27) caused early damage with her in-swingers, dismissing dangerous opener Tammy Beaumont (4), skipper Heather Knight (18), and last match’s centurion Nat Sciver-Brunt (4). Her fiery performance gave Pakistan hope of securing their first win in the tournament.When play resumed after rain, England struggled at 79/7 in 25 overs, managing only 54 runs in the final six overs. Charlie Dean (33) was the top scorer for England, who had won all three of their previous league matches by significant margins.For Pakistan, who had lost all three of their earlier games, Sana’s inspired spell was a rare highlight and showed the team’s potential to challenge the tournament favorites. However, relentless rain meant the contest ended in a draw, with both sides sharing points.
