Pakistan reached the Women’s Asia Cup semi-finals with a commanding 72-run victory over Hong Kong at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday.
After posting 143 for eight, Pakistan’s bowlers dismantled the Hong Kong batting line-up for just 71, with Nashra finishing with figures of six wickets for seven runs.
The result secured Pakistan a place in the last four, where they will face Sri Lanka on Friday.
Captain Fatima Sana once again opted to bat first, hoping to make amends for Pakistan’s seven-wicket defeat to India at the same venue two days earlier.
Pakistan made a cautious start, with Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqaar adding 24 runs in three overs.
Gull Feroza’s difficult run in the tournament continued as she was trapped lbw for three from four deliveries, following successive ducks in Pakistan’s previous two matches.
Shawaal found a reliable partner in Ayesha Zafar, who immediately injected momentum into the innings with consecutive boundaries. The pair helped Pakistan recover before Ayesha was dismissed for 26 off 19 balls, mistiming a slower delivery from Joyleen Kaur. Pakistan were 82 for three at the halfway stage.
Shawaal then anchored the innings with an assured 47 from 35 balls. However, Pakistan suffered another collapse in the middle overs when Shawaal, Sadaf Shamas and Eyman Fatima were all dismissed by Kaur as Pakistan slipped from 92 to 101 for six.
Fatima Sana steadied the innings with an unbeaten 24 from 24 deliveries. She received useful support from Tuba Hassan, who struck 14 off 13 balls.
Despite a quiet finish and the late dismissal of Umm-e-Hani, Pakistan reached 143 for eight — a competitive score on a challenging surface.
Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal claimed wickets in successive overs, reducing the opposition to two wickets for one run after just two overs.
Fatima bowled Mariko Hill with the final delivery of the opening over, while Sadia trapped Miles lbw with her first ball.
Yasmin Daswani and Kary Chan briefly stemmed the collapse, combining for 31 runs from 44 deliveries. Their partnership gave Hong Kong some hope, but the arrival of Nashra Sandhu changed the game completely.
Nashra broke the partnership by taking a return catch from Daswani. She quickly removed Marina Lamplough and then dismissed Bibi after inducing her to play across the line, with Sadaf Shamas completing the catch at midwicket.
Shanzeen Shahzad was the next victim, caught by Sadia at extra cover, before Alison Siu was bowled off the following delivery.
The wicket gave Nashra her maiden five-wicket haul in T20 internationals. She then made history by becoming the first Pakistani woman to claim six wickets in a T20I innings, bowling Iqra Sahar with the final ball of her four-over spell.
Nashra finished with figures of six for seven as Hong Kong collapsed to 71 all out.
