Pakistan make home advantage count in thrilling Qualifier
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 Qualifier went down to the wire, with the final place at the main event not decided until the very latter stages of the competition.
Bangladesh ended up joining Pakistan among the top two but only held on by the skin of their teeth as West Indies narrowly missed out on net run rate, with two early defeats proving costly.
Pakistan clear of the competition
Pakistan have long been Qualifier specialists, having come through the same route in 2009, 2013 and 2017, and they quickly asserted their authority on home soil.
They began with a 38-run victory over Ireland and then saw off Scotland by six wickets, captain Fatima Sana starring with four for 23.
A pivotal 65-run win over West Indies put them on the brink of qualification and they sealed their World Cup spot with an 87-run victory against Thailand before closing out an unbeaten competition by beating Bangladesh on the final day.
Fatima shone with bat and ball, scoring 103 runs – including an unbeaten 62 against Thailand – and taking 12 wickets at 12.25, while going at fewer than four runs an over.
Sidra Amin and Muneeba Ali also made valuable contributions with the bat, scoring 225 and 223 runs respectively, while Nashra Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal impressed in their bowling attack.
Nigar and Sharmin inspire Bangladesh
Fatima was not the only skipper to lead from the front, with Nigar Sultana's runs crucial in Bangladesh's success.
The skipper reeled off consecutive scores of 101, 51 and 83 not out in Bangladesh's first three matches and it was no coincidence that they went on to win them all.
That gave them enough of a cushion – just – that they could afford to lose their final two games and still progress.
Nigar did not end the competition as her side's leading run-scorer, however, with that honour going to the consistent Sharmin Akhter.
Sharmin scored half-centuries against Thailand (94 not out), Scotland (57) and West Indies (67), finishing with 266 runs at 66.50.
West Indies fall just short
West Indies paid for a slow start in Pakistan, with their late surge not enough to carry them into the top two.
Hayley Matthews could barely have done more to lead her side's bid, setting the tone with an unbeaten century in an 11-run defeat to Scotland which ultimately proved fatal.
Matthews finished her competition with a 29-ball 70 as her side chased down 166 inside 11 overs against Thailand, narrowly failing to overhaul Bangladesh's net run rate in the process.
She also took a tournament-high 13 wickets, including four for 24 in a six-run win over Ireland, while Aaliyah Alleyne chipped in with 12.
But despite an impressive win over Bangladesh and their blitz against Thailand, West Indies left it too late to continue their record of being at every ICC Women's Cricket World Cup since 2000 and will miss out later in the year.
Bryce efforts in vain while Ireland and Thailand miss out
Scotland may not have made it through but the tournament's top-scorer Kathryn Bryce enjoyed many moments to savour in Lahore.
Scores of 91 against Pakistan and 60 against Thailand were followed by a majestic 131 not out against Ireland, her first ODI century.
But Bryce's all-round efforts – she also took six wickets across the competition – were not enough to see her side over the line as they failed to build on that eye-catching opening victory over West Indies, losing to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ireland, the latter by one wicket in a final-ball thriller.
That result ensured Ireland finished on a high after their hopes had been ended earlier in the competition, narrow defeats against West Indies (by six runs) and Bangladesh (by two wickets) showcasing the fine margins which proved decisive.
Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter impressed with the bat for Ireland, while Jane Maguire took three wickets against both Pakistan and West Indies.
Thailand ended winless but were competitive, particularly in their matches against Ireland and Scotland.
Natthakan Chantham scored two half-centuries while 21-year-old left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong finished with eight wickets at 26.62.
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