Thailand pulled off one of the biggest wins in their young history in cricket when they beat Pakistan by four wickets during their Women's Asia Cup match in Sylhet on Thursday, October 6. Leading the line was opener Natthakan Chantham, who scored a 51-ball 61 as the Thai women chased down a meagre total of 117 runs.
However, the match could have gone another way after Thailand lost a couple of early wickets to Tuba Hassan. But Chantham kept her cool knowing that the target was easily achievable. After ten overs, they were 45 for 2 with 72 runs needed for the win. This was when skipper Naruemol Chaiwai and Sornnarin Tippoch lost their wickets in consecutive overs to Kainat Imtiaz and Nida Dar respectively, despite the onslaught from Chantham at the other end.
After the opener bagged a 45-ball half-century, the match could have ended if Nida Dar had not dropped a sitter in the deep off Nashra Sandhu's bowling, giving Chantham the break she needed.
Her wicket did come, however, in the penultimate over, with Dar making up for her initial drop. Chantham was caught at deep midwicket, leaving Thailand with 11 to get from eight balls.
Then it was Nattaya Boochatham and Rosenan Kanoh who finished the match, with a slog straight down the ground for four off a juicy full-toss. An inside-edge to fine-leg for two came next, then a scrambled single, and then the winning hit, a slog from Nattaya Boochatham over midwicket for a single.
Earlier, Sornnarin Tippoch returned 2 for 20 in a strong Thailand bowling performance, right at the close. For Pakistan, it was Sidra Ameen who held the innings together with a 64-ball 56. But the side did put runs on the board and the going was slow all along. Tippoch picked up the big wickets of Dar and Ayesha Naseem at a crucial juncture in the last quarter of the innings, while all the bowlers on view conceded runs at 6.50 or under.
