An unbeaten half-century from Rubya Haider and her match-winning partnership with skipper Nigar Sultana, backed by fine bowling from young pacer Marufa Akter, helped Bangladesh thrash an out-of-depth Pakistan by seven wickets in their ICC Women's World Cup match, in Colombo, on Thursday.
Rubya struck a 77-ball unbeaten 54 (4x8) and shared a 62-run partnership with skipper Sultana (23 off 44 balls) for the third wicket as Bangladesh overhauled the target of 130 with 113 balls to spare, reaching 131 for 3 in 31.1 overs.
Rubya played with caution initially after Bangladesh lost opener Fargana Hoque and Sharmin Akhter early but once she got the feel of the pitch, the 28-year-old hit a flurry of boundaries to make the chase look easy.
She belted three boundaries in the 19th over bowled by veteran Pakistan left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu which changed the complexion of the game as Bangladesh went into overdrive.
However, it was disciplined bowling by young pacer Marufa Akter (2-31), veteran spinner Nahida Akter (2-19), and Shorna Akter (3-5) which set up the match for them as Pakistan were bowled out for 129 in 38.3 overs.
It was Marufa who triggered Pakistan's collapse, with the 20-year-old right-arm pacer giving the opponents a massive jolt in the opening over by dismissing opener Omaima Sohail and batting stalwart Sidra Amin for golden ducks.
Slow left-arm bowling stalwart Nahida Akter (2-19) then piled more pressure on Pakistan by sending opener Muneeba Ali (17) and Rameen Shamim (23) back in quick succession just after the Powerplay overs.
Pakistan were at 41-2 after 10 overs.
Playing her 27th WODI, Marufa took Pakistan completely by surprise with the new ball. She first pitched a full-length inswinging delivery just outside off-stump to rattle Omaima's leg stump, and, on the very next ball, had the prized wicket of Sidra.
The in-form Pakistani batter went for a drive but got beaten by the big inswing to lose her leg stump.
Pakistan's other opener Muneeba slammed two boundaries in the fourth over off right-arm spinner Nishita Akter Nishi, but she too fell soon as the team slumped to 44-3.
Her partner Rameen, with whom she had built a 42-run stand, too departed two overs later to leave Pakistan reeling at 47-4 in 14 overs.
Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals with Bangladesh tactically rotating their bowlers to keep the opponents clueless.
Pakistan, whose run-rate hardly ever crossed four per over, touched the 100-run mark in the 30th over and they could manage just 14 boundaries in their innings.
Teenage leg-spinner Shorna Akter wiped out the tail as Pakistan's innings wound up in 38.3 overs.
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