Strikers held their nerves to beat defending champions Stars by one run in the final of the National Women’s T20 Tournament at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Monday.

Strikers scored a modest 115 in 19 overs, but fought back to restrict Stars to 114 for eight in 20 overs. Stars needed 11 runs off the last over with two wickets standing, but Syeda Masooma Jafri conceded only nine, despite being hit for a boundary off the first ball, to earn Strikers a narrow victory.

Stars were comfortably placed at 74 for three in 11 overs before they collapsed to 103 for eight in 18.3 overs.

Rameen Shamim and Omaima Sohail grabbed two wickets apiece, conceding nine and 11 runs, respectively, while Stars’ opener Sadaf Shamas was the top-scorer with a 38-ball 37, including three fours and two sixes.

Earlier, Hafsa Khalid of Stars returned figures of 4-0-29-4 as Strikers were dismissed for 115 in 19 overs. Stand-in captain Natalia Parvaiz was the top scorer with 30, while Eman Naseer scored 20.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced details of the PCB Women’s Super-3 T20 Tournament, which will be held on a double-league basis at the Iqbal Stadium from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5. Champions, Incredibles and Warriors will feature in the newly launched event, with the winners collecting 1.5 million Pakistani rupees and the runners-up receiving 1 million rupees.

Tuba Hassan will captain Champions, Gull Feroza Incredibles and Muneeba Ali Warriors.

While all the leading women cricketers of the country have been named in various sides, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s name is missing from the three teams. The PCB offered no explanation for the absence of the national captain.

Fatima captained Strikers in six National Women’s T20 Tournament matches, collecting five wickets and scoring 100 runs. She missed Monday’s final, which Strikers won by one run.

Scores in brief

FINAL – Strikers beat Stars by one run, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Strikers 115 all out, 19 overs (Natalia Parvaiz 30, Eman Naseer 20, Huraina Sajad 16, Rameen Shamim 15, Najiha Alvi 12; Hafsa Khalid 4-29, Tuba Hassan 2-17, Diana Baig 2-23)

Stars 114-8, 20 overs (Sadaf Shamas 37, Diana Baig 16 not out, Tuba Hassan 14, Iram Javed 13, Hafsa Khalid 11; Rameen Shamim 2-9, Omaima Sohail 2-11)