In the intense heat of Sharjah on Thursday, Bangladesh began their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a tenacious 16-run victory over tournament newcomers Scotland.
After winning the toss and batting first, Sobhana Mostary top-scored with 36 for Bangladesh in a below par total of 119-7.
Following that, their bowlers dominated the Scotland reply, and even with Sarah Bryce’s 49 not out, the new team could only muster 103-7, giving Bangladesh its first T20 World Cup victory in ten years.
With the temperature reaching 38 degrees Celsius and the batters being held back by a slow outfield and slow pitch, it was a difficult opening game for both teams. There were only fifteen fours throughout the game, and there were no sixes to enliven the largely empty stands.
The opening partnership of 26 gave the Bangladeshi innings a strong start. Murshida Khatun, who was dropped at 12, then smashed the next ball she encountered, from Katheryn Bryce, to mid-on, where Katherine Fraser made the catch.
After that, Shathi Rani and Sobhana Mostary put up 42 for the second wicket. However, in an attempt to score more quickly, Shathi skied a catch to Saskia Horley at mid-on; her 29 came off 32 balls.
On her 27th birthday, Taj Nehar was dismissed for a duck, and Mostary then sprinted down the wicket to Olivia Bell, easily getting stumped for 36 off 38 balls by Sarah Bryce.
Nigar Sultana Joty, the leading batswoman for Bangladesh and player in her 100th Twenty20 international match, fell for eighteen in the last over, giving Saskia Horley, who finished with three wickets and thirteen runs in two overs, her third wicket.
Horley’s early ejection, which stumped off the formidable Fahima Khatun, gave Scotland a bad start to their response.
Scotland was already behind the pace at 31-2 at the end of the six-over powerplay when Marufa bowled Katheryn Bryce with a delivery that nipped back and kept low, and they never recovered.
As Bangladesh chipped away at the Scottish batting, player of the match Ritu Moni chipped in with 2-15 from her four overs, and Sarah Bryce, who also kept wicket, started to feel the affects of the heat.
Her 49 off 52 balls had just one boundary which tells the tale of Scotland’s defeat. Later in the day, Pakistan takes against Sri Lanka in Sharjah.
