Thailand’s group ends tonight, and Pakistan’s has not started

Pakistan play their first match of the Women’s Asia Cup tonight, four days after the tournament started, against a Thailand side playing its last. That is what a four-team group with a single round of fixtures does to a schedule. Pakistan and Thailand meet at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at 8pm IST, and by the end of it Group A will be most of the way decided.

Thailand are done after tonight

Thailand have already played twice. They beat Hong Kong by six runs on 28 August, defending 120 for 9, and then ran into India on 30 August and were bowled out for 65 chasing 160. Two matches, one win, a net run rate of minus 2.200. Pakistan are the last name on their fixture list, so whatever happens tonight is Thailand’s final position in the group.

Win, and they finish on four points with India yet to complete their programme, which would put Thailand in a strong position for one of the two semi-final places. Lose, and they sit on two and spend the next week watching other teams decide whether that is enough.

What it means for India

India have played once and won by 94 runs, which is the biggest runs margin the tournament has produced so far. Shafali Verma made 64 in that game and Deepti Sharma took three wickets as Thailand were dismissed inside 17 overs. India sit top of Group A on a net run rate of plus 4.700, well clear of the rest of the group.

Their remaining group games are against Hong Kong on 3 September and Pakistan on 5 September, both at 8pm IST. If Thailand win tonight and reach four points, the 5 September fixture becomes considerably heavier for Pakistan, who would then need results elsewhere as well as a win over India. If Pakistan win tonight, they arrive at that match with two points and their own fate largely in their hands.

Fatima Sana’s side, and a Thailand batter worth watching

Fatima Sana leads Pakistan, with Muneeba Ali opening and Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan giving the attack three spin options in a squad of 15. Thailand are captained by Naruemol Chaiwai. Their wicketkeeper Nannapat Koncharoenkai is the leading run scorer of the tournament to this point with 68 from two innings, more than anybody in either group has managed. Forty-one of those runs came against India, out of a Thailand total of 65, which tells you both how well she batted and how little help she had.

The rest of Group A runs to 7 September, when Hong Kong play Pakistan. The semi-finals are on 10 and 11 September, the final on 13 September, and every match of the tournament is being played at the same Dubai ground under lights.

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