NZW vs PAKW Match Preview
Pakistan is coming into this contest on the back of a similar tour to Bangladesh. The team lost both, the T20 as well as the ODI series by a 2-1 margin to the hosts and will be looking to bounce back here.
Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar are two of the most experienced players on the Pakistan squad and will shoulder the responsibility of helping the team make a winning start. Sidra Ameen and Muneeba Ali will open the batting. Sidra Ameen is in particularly good form and will look to score some brisk runs during the PowerPlay.
Fatima Sana and Diana Baig are two quality seamers on the team and are likely to play an important role in the quick and bouncy pitches of New Zealand. Umm-e-Hani is another player to watch out for in this series. She made her international debut last year and has played series’ against Ireland and South Africa.
The off-spinner has picked up 11 wickets so far. She will play a supporting role for Nashra Sandhu and Nida Dar, both of whom have plenty of experience on the international stage.
New Zealand W themselves haven’t been in the best of forms in white ball cricket. They failed to make it past the group stages in the Women’s T20 World Cup played earlier this year, and also lost a couple of ODI series against South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Nevertheless, they have an excellent opportunity to turn things around as they return to home turf.
New Zealand has named a strong team for this series. Sophie Devine will once again lead the team. She is a vital cog in the middle order and has scored 141 runs this year. She has had a brilliant time in the ongoing WBBL and comes into this contest with good form.
She will be supported by Suzie Bates, who is the top run-getter for New Zealand this year, as well as Maddy Green, Kate Anderson, and Georgia Plimmer. Lea Tahuhu is likely to lead the seam attack for the home team. She has already picked up 14 wickets this year.
However, the other seamers including Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe, and Molly Penfold aren’t in the best of forms. Eden Carson is the specialist spinner on the squad, which appears a bit understaffed.
Weather Report
The weather in Dunedin is likely to remain overcast on Sunday and there may be some drizzling. But we are likely to have a full match. The conditions are expected to be windy and the temperature will remain below the 15-degree mark.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Dunedin Oval isn’t the easiest to bat on and the seamers will enjoy bowling on this surface, thanks to the green top. The ball seams and swings, giving the batters a hard time, especially when the ball is new. With the overcast and windy conditions, the seamers can expect plenty of help.
The pitch does settle down as the game progresses but anything over 130 can get tricky to chase.
Bowling first will be a good option for the team winning the toss.
Notable stats
Muneeba Ali: Modern Pakistani Batter
Muneeba Ali is known for her explosive brand of batting for Pakistan W. She has scored 312 runs this year at an average of 24.00 and a strike rate of 105.76.
Team News
Amelia Kerr is likely to be unavailable for this match due to her WBBL commitments.
NZW vs PAKW Probable 11
NZW Playing 11
- Maddy Green (Wk)
- Sophie Devine (C)
- Suzie Bates
- George Plimmer
- Kate Anderson
- Izzy Gaze
- Bernadine Bezuidenhout
- Lea Tahuhu
- Jess Kerr
- Eden Carson
- Hannah Rowe
PAKW Playing 11
- Muneeba Ali (Wk)
- Bismah Maroof
- Sidra Ameen
- Nida Dar (C)
- Fatima Sana
- Aaliya Riaz
- Omaima Sohail
- Nashra Sandhu
- Diana Baig
- Sadia Iqbal
- Umm-e-Hani
Dream11 Prediction
While both teams haven’t been in the best of forms in recent times, we are backing New Zealand W to win this contest. They have played 8 T20I against Pakistan W to date and are yet to lose against them. Also, the home conditions give them the upper hand as Pakistan W are likely to struggle with the pace and bounce.
Top Picks
Suzie Bates: Bates has scored 338 runs this year at an average of 37.55 and a strike rate of 105.62.
Lea Tahuhu: Lea Tahuhu is the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand W this year with 14 wickets. She has a bowling average of 10.96 and an excellent economy rate of less than 6 runs per over.
Nida Dar: Over the years, Nida Dar has been a quality all-rounder for Pakistan W. In the last 14 matches, she has scored 174 runs and has also picked up 10 wickets.
NZW vs PAKW Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: M Green, M Ali
Batters: B Maroof, S Bates, S Ameen
All-rounders: S Devine (C), N Dar (VC), K Anderson
Bowlers: L Tahuhu, N Sandhu, J Kerr
