Gull Feroza's unbeaten 63 off 52 balls and a combined five-wicket effort from Fatima Sana and Ayesha Zafar powered Pakistan to a 37-run consolation victory over Netherlands in the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup at the County Ground, Bristol, on Saturday, 27 June. Pakistan finished their Group A campaign in fifth place, ending on a winning note despite an otherwise difficult tournament.

Pakistan's Innings: Feroza Anchors a Modest Total

Electing to bat first, Pakistan made a cautious start before Muneeba Ali struck a couple of crisp boundaries off Iris Zwilling. Muneeba's innings ended in the fourth over for 12, caught at cover off Hannah Landheer.

The departure brought in Ayesha Zafar, who combined with Feroza in a crucial 79-run partnership — Pakistan's best phase of the innings. Ayesha contributed 32 with a mix of sweeps and lofted drives before being caught at extra cover off Silver Siegers. Her dismissal triggered a collapse: skipper Fatima Sana pulled straight to deep midwicket, debutant Eyman Fatima holed out after six balls, Iram Javed was stumped attempting a charge against Heather Siegers, and Saira Jabeen skied to mid-off. Pakistan lost their last four wickets for just 24 runs to finish at 126/6 in 20 overs.

Feroza, however, stood firm throughout, reaching her third T20I fifty with a sweep behind square and finishing with nine boundaries in a knock that kept Pakistan competitive. Iris Zwilling was the pick of the Dutch bowlers with 2-19.

Netherlands Chase Unravels Against Pakistan's Spinners

The Dutch chase opened brightly, with Heather Siegers racing to 24 off 16 balls, striking five boundaries off Sadia Iqbal, Fatima Sana, and Diana Baig. But Diana had the last laugh, trapping Heather lbw in the fourth over with a slower ball that went past the pull — a decision confirmed on DRS.

Phebe Molkenboer followed soon after, run out for 8 by a sharp direct hit from Eyman Fatima at short fine leg. Sterre Kalis attempted to rebuild alongside Babette de Leede, but the spin of Nashra Sandhu and Tuba Hassan dried up the scoring. Sterre's stay ended when she chopped a cut off Nashra onto her stumps for 12.

Babette de Leede (30) and Robine Rijke briefly threatened to revive the chase, rotating strike and picking up occasional boundaries — twice off part-timer Ayesha Zafar. But Ayesha struck back decisively: she trapped Robine lbw, had Sanya Khurana stumped for a three-ball duck, and removed Frederique Overdijk caught at cover for 6, finishing with career-best figures of 3-13.

A bizarre run-out ended Iris Zwilling's innings — Babette's straight drive ricocheted off the non-striker, leaving Iris stranded as Ayesha collected the ball and threw to the keeper. Fatima Sana then dismissed Babette, Silver Siegers, and Caroline de Lange in quick succession, completing figures of 3-12 — including a triple-wicket maiden — to bowl the Netherlands out for 89 in 18 overs.

Netherlands' Historic World Cup Debut

The Netherlands were playing their first-ever Women's T20 World Cup, and showed considerable heart throughout the tournament. Despite falling short in this chase, their campaign highlighted the growing depth of women's cricket beyond traditional powerhouses. Contributions from Babette de Leede and Heather Siegers underlined the promise within the Dutch side.

Pakistan's Tournament Takeaway

Pakistan's fifth-place finish in Group A means they exit the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup without advancing to the knockout rounds, but the consolation win offers some positives. Feroza's consistency with the bat and Fatima Sana's all-round impact — both with ball and leadership — will be key talking points heading into their next cycle. The collapse in the middle order, however, remains a structural concern for the team's management to address.