Pakistani woman hits WI for world record 242

KARACHI: Opener Kiran Baluch smashed a world record 242 runs as Pakistan punished the West Indies on the second day of their one-off Women’s Test match at the Pakistan National Stadium yesterday. Baluch powered the home side to a formidable first innings score of 426 for seven declared, and at the close, the West Indies were under pressure on 72 for five in reply at the halfway point in the four-day match. Envis Williams (8) and Verena Felicien (5) were the not out batters for the West Indies, who enter today’s third day trailing by 354 runs with only five wickets in hand. Baluch shared in a double century opening stand with Sanida Shah as she erased the previous world record for the highest individual score of 214 by India’s Matali Raj in 2001.

Sent in to bat on Monday’s opening day, Pakistan’s batting flourished as Baluch and Shah (98) posted an awesome 241-run first wicket stand.  Shah was out just before the close and the West Indies enjoyed a better second day as Pakistan added 184 runs while losing six wickets.  Trinidadian left-arm spinner Felicia Cummings led the West Indies bowling with four for 54 off 24 overs, while medium pacers Candacy Atkins (1-49), Williams (1-43) and off-spinner Felicien (1-83) shared the other wickets. Beginning their reply after tea when the declaration came, the Caribbean side struggled to cope and tumbled towards a follow-on possibility. Left-handed St. Lucian Nadine George (22) and Geneille Greaves (19) have led the West Indies batting so far, while leg-spinner Shaiza Khan, has picked up three for 21 from nine overs.

The other batters out are Jackie Robinson (8), Indomatie Goordial (3), and Juliana Nero (1) as the inexperienced West Indies struggle to stay alive against the strong home side.  “This is the first Test match that everyone of these players is involved in,” West Indies coach Ann Browne-John told CMC Sport. “There is no player on the team who has ever played a Test before, so it is an experience for all of them,” she added. The West Indies, coming off a 5-0 One-Day International (ODI) Series loss to India, will face Pakistan in seven ODIs after this current Test match in their continued build up for next year’s World Cup in South Africa. “We really came out to India and Pakistan primarily for the One-Day Internationals because that is where we are trying to gain our experience for the World Cup next year,” Browne-John said.