BARBADOS have defied expectations to beat Pakistan by 15 runs and get their Commonwealth Games campaign off to the best of starts.

After being sent in, Barbados got off to a frenetic start, but they did lose their first wicket on only the fifth ball of the innings. However, they did not lose another for 17.2 more overs as Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight put on a 105-run partnership to really turn around the Barbadian innings.

They did lose two more wickets, but they had already done the damage as the Barbadians finished on 4/144 off their 20 overs, and Pakistan had a challenge on their hands. Knight finished on 62 not out, while Matthews made 51.

Meanwhile for the Pakistanis, Fatima Khan was the best of their bowlers taking two wickets, but she was also their most expensive, with an economy rate of over 10. Diana Baig was the only other bowler to nab a wicket for the Pakistanis.

Pakistan already had a challenge on their hands to make such a tough score, and it was made even harder after they lost their first wicket on the very first ball of their reply. Almost all the Pakistani batters made a double figure score, but did not go on to make much of a tally.

Except, Nida Dar. The Pakistani veteran made a quick fire 50, which breathed some life into the Pakistani innings and no doubt troubled the Barbadians, but unfortunately for the Pakistanis no one else was able to go with her, and so unfortunately for the Pakistanis the challenge was just too great. Another sad indicator of how the Pakistanis went was that the extras outscored everyone except Dar.

For the Barbadians, the wicket taking duties were evenly spread, with Matthews, Deandra Dottin, Aaliyah Alleyne and Shamilia Connell all nabbing one wicket. Alongside that wicket Matthews also assisted in several other wickets.