KARACHI: Stars clinched the National Women’s U-19 Tournament title after beating Challengers by four runs in a thrilling finale here at the Naya Nazimabad Cricket Ground on Friday.
Off-spinner Rozina Akram was the standout bowler for Stars as she defended eight runs in the last over as the team defended 97 runs and finished with stunning figures of one for nine in four overs.
Komal Khan-led Stars have also avenged their one-run and one-wicket losses to Challengers in the two league-stage matches and ended their seven-matchwinning streak.
Rozina was supported by Rukhsar Arif, who gave only 16 runs in her four overs and plucked the vital scalp of Challengers skipper Fizza Fiaz after she had threatened to take the game away by hitting one six in her 11-ball 10.
Sawera Ramzan was the other bowler among wickets as she returned one for 12 in her two overs, while six of the Challengers batters were run out.
Opening batter Pakeeza Shabbir was the only standout batter for the runners up and kept them in the game till the last over with her 65-ball 40 striking four fours.
With six runs required off the last three balls, Pakeezacharged down the wicket to Rozina and holed out to Aqsa Habib at wide long on, who grabbed a brilliant catch by jumping high in the air as any error might have leaked a boundary.
Pakeeza stitched a 27-run stand with Memoona Khalid after Challengers had slipped to 27-4 before Memoona fell short of her crease. Number eight batter Mahnoor Zeb also added 19 runs in company of Pakeeza by scoring nine runs but in vain as they could only managed 93-8 in the allotted 20 overs.
Earlier, Stars limped to the 97-run total courtesy contributions from Aqsa Habib (34) and Komal (30), while the next bestscore was by Afsheen Imran, who scored 10 off 20 without any boundary. Rozina remained unbeaten for four runs after walking in to bat at 75-5.For Challengers, Aleena Shah picked up three for 16, while Farya Sadagat, Huba Nadeem, Memoona Khalid and Mahnoor dismissed one batter each.