When the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup was moved out of Bangladesh due to a flood of anti-government protests, plenty of sympathy went the nation’s way. Months of effort put into galvanising the nation’s youth faded away as the country faced severe political turmoil.
The T20 World Cup – which was set to return to Bangladesh after 10 years – was moved to the UAE, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board retaining hosting rights.
In the run-up to the opener, skipper Nigar Sultana said that she hoped her side – which has won just two of the 12 T20Is it has played this year – wins at least one game.
Looks like the cricketing gods were listening with the side holding its nerve and sticking to its strengths to beat Scotland by 16 runs to get its campaign off to a triumphant start at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
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It was a hot and humid afternoon with players soaked in sweat and visibly struggling in the second half of the game. Nigar Sultana opted to bat first, seeking to get a quick sense of the pitch, leaving the crunch work to its stronger bowling department.
Despite Scotland managing to stem the flow of runs in the middle phases, Bangladesh – courtesy of efforts from Shobana Mostary, Shathi Rani and Nigar – finished with 119/7 on the board. Saskia Horley – who has plied her trade in the Australian domestic ecosystem – was wrecker-in-chief for the Scots with the ball.
Scotland dropped a bunch of catches, as would Bangladesh, in what was at one point a comfortable chase. Sarah Bryce carried her bat through the innings, losing partners at frequent intervals.
Marufa Akter chipped in with the key wicket of skipper Kathryn Bryce after which Nigar went almost exclusively with spin. The ball stayed low and barely turned much particularly in the second half, but the slower deliveries helped bowlers trick batters in the air.
Towards the end, Sarah was waging a lone battle and looked too exhausted to run. The target proved a few runs too many, with the ‘host’ sealing an emotional win that left the team in tears.
