Bangladesh end Women’s T20 WC campaign with narrow defeat against SA

Bangladesh suffered a narrow four-wicket defeat against South Africa to conclude their campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday.

Batting first, Bangladesh could only post a modest 117-5 in their 20 overs, with Sobhana Mostary top scoring with 42 off 48 balls and skipper Nigar Sultana hitting an unbeaten 32 off 20 balls.

The bowlers dragged the match into the final over, but South Africa scored the remaining five runs off the first two deliveries of the 20th to reach 118-6 in 19.2 overs.

Bangladesh’s innings had got off to a terrible start, as pacer Marizanne Kapp bowled out Juairiya Ferdous for a duck in the first delivery of the innings.

Taj Nehar, playing her first match of the tournament, soon departed for just one off 12 balls as Bangladesh hobbled to 23-2 at the end of the Powerplay.

Sobhana and Sharmin Akhter (22 off 29) steadied the innings with a 56-run third-wicket stand. But it took them 62 balls to get those runs, slowing the scoring rate considerably.

Nigar tried to make up for it in the latter part of the innings, but in the end, Bangladesh had to settle for a below-par total.

In reply, pacer Marufa Akter once again struck in the very first ball of the innings, beating South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt with a brilliant in-swinger that crashed into the stumps and dismissed her for a first-ball duck.

Annerie Derckson then made a run-a-ball 45 and formed a couple of handy partnerships before departing as the fourth batter, with South Africa just 31 runs away from victory off 35 balls.

Bangladesh claimed two more wickets in the 18th and 19th over – running out Kapp for 16 off 21 and Nadine de Klark for 15 off 14 – to stay alive in the contest.

But defending just five in the 20th, Marufa’s first delivery took an outside edge off Chloe Tyron’s bat and went through the vacant slip region for a boundary to end all hopes of a dramatic victory.

Bangladesh end their campaign with two wins and three defeats – having earlier won against the Netherlands and Pakistan and lost to India and Australia.

They finished fourth in the six-team Group 1, behind Australia, South Africa, and India, respectively.

India and Australia will play the final Group 1 match later in the day. If India win, they will overtake South Africa and qualify for the semifinal alongside Australia.

If the Aussies win, South Africa will join them in the knockout stage.