Bangladesh Women clinched their first T20 World Cup victory in over a decade, starting the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 campaign on a high note by defeating Scotland Women by 16 runs.
Electing to bat first, Bangladesh Women opened with positive intent. Shathi Rani set the tone early, hitting a boundary in each of the first two overs. Although Murshida Khatun fell to Kathryn Bryce while trying to play a lofted shot, Rani found a reliable partner in Sobhana Mostary. The pair built a steady run-a-ball partnership worth 42 runs, keeping the scoreboard ticking with quick singles and occasional boundaries. Despite several aggressive attempts, boundaries were hard to come by against Scotland’s slower bowlers.
The partnership was broken when Rani miscued a big hit to midwicket for 29. Mostary soon followed, stumped for 32, sandwiching a duck dismissal for Taj Nehar. Bangladesh’s middle-order, particularly left-arm spinner Saskia Horley who took 3 wickets, struggled to accelerate, but Fahima Khatun’s timely boundaries pushed the total to a defendable 119/7.
Scotland’s chase struggled to find momentum, losing Saskia Horley in the third over to spin. The critical blow came when captain Kathryn Bryce, who showed promise with two early boundaries, was bowled by a delivery that kept low. The dismissal of Bryce severely impacted Scotland’s chase.
Despite Sarah Bryce’s resilient innings of 49*, wickets fell regularly at the other end. Ritu Moni’s double strike and Priyanaz Chatterji’s run-out due to miscommunication further derailed Scotland’s pursuit. Unable to keep up with the required run rate, Scotland finished their innings at 103/7, falling 16 runs short of the target.
Key Performances
- Bangladesh Women: Shathi Rani (29), Sobhana Mostary (36), Fahima Khatun (late boundaries), and Ritu Moni (2/15) contributed to setting and defending a competitive total.
- Scotland Women: Sarah Bryce stood out with an unbeaten 49, while Saskia Horley impressed with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 13 runs.
Result
Bangladesh Women won by 16 runs to mark a memorable start to their T20 World Cup campaign.
Brief Scores:
Bangladesh Women 119/7 (Sobhana Mostary 36; Saskia Horley 3-13)
Scotland Women 103/7 (Sarah Bryce 49*; Ritu Moni 2-15)