Pakistan defend 119 to beat Thailand by 35 runs in Women's Asia Cup

Pakistan opened their Women's T20 Asia Cup with a 35 run win over Thailand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Pakistan batted first and made 119 for 9. Thailand were held to 84 for 8. Sadia Iqbal took 3 for 11 in four overs and Muneeba Ali top scored with 54 from 52 balls.

Muneeba holds the innings together

Pakistan lost their first three wickets for very little. RevSportz put the score at 23 for 3. Muneeba then added 54 with Sadaf Shamas, who made 20, and the innings stopped falling over.

Muneeba hit four fours in her 54. IANS reported it as her fourth T20I half-century. She was stumped with the total on 90 for 6. Umm-e-Hani made 17 and Tuba Hassan finished 12 not out.

Thailand's bowlers took six of the nine wickets between two of them. Suleeporn Laomi finished with 3 for 14 and Thipatcha Putthawong with 3 for 18.

Sadia Iqbal's double-wicket maiden

Sadia bowled a double-wicket maiden in the second over. Two wickets fell in it and no run came off it. The rate never came back under control after that.

Chanida Sutthiruang top scored for Thailand with 25 from 24 balls. Captain Naruemol Chaiwai made 17 from 33, according to RevSportz. Tuba Hassan finished with 2 for 17.

Sadia's four overs cost 11 runs, an economy rate of 2.75. Nashra Sundhu was tighter still and conceded six from her four. Between them the pair bowled eight of the twenty overs for 17 runs and four wickets, which is why 119 was defensible.

Thailand's tournament ends

ESPNcricinfo reported that the defeat knocked Thailand out of the Asia Cup. India had already beaten them by 94 runs in the same group. Thailand were one of four associate and emerging sides brought into this year's draw. They leave it with two heavy defeats against Full Member opposition.

Pakistan play India next. That match is on Saturday at the same ground.

Low totals in Dubai

Four completed matches in this tournament have paired a Full Member with an emerging or associate side. None of the four was close. The scores are worth setting out together.

• Sri Lanka bowled UAE out for 79 in the opening match
• India beat Thailand by 94 runs
• Bangladesh made 129 for 8 and dismissed Indonesia for 58
• Pakistan made 119 for 9 and held Thailand to 84 for 8

Two things stand out in that set. The Full Member totals are modest, and the emerging sides are still losing by wide margins anyway. Thailand's bowlers restricted Pakistan to 119 and their batters then managed 84 in reply. The bowling has travelled. The batting has not.