If you were to take a pole to find out the most improved side in women’s cricket , the answer is Bangladesh.
A young team with guts, intent but unlucky in terms of hitting the final nail for excellence in winning.
Bangladesh was unlucky not to have beaten England, thanks to an inefficient third umpire in Gayathri Venugopal who has now gone missing, but yesterday it was not umpires error against South. Africa, but the tigers catching that let them down.
The Proteas won by 3 wickets after choking with 2 balls to spare. Sadly, it was a slip between the cup and the lip for Bangladesh.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Bangladesh had different plans , bat the 50 overs, don’t rush trying to push the runrate but keep wickets in hand and open the shoulders between the 40th and 50th overs which in other words is the death overs.
The plan worked beautifully as Bangladesh took their time crawled in the power play overs, kept their wickets intact, struggled with dot balls in the middle overs, but ensured the top order batters hung around.
Fargana Haque, better known as pinky, came back to the playing eleven and grinded her way to score 30 her fellow opener though a snail pace approach never threw her wicket made 25. Shamin Akhtar held the innings together, made 50 with Nigra Sultana giving her able support in compiling a hard earned 32. Analysis in terms of partnerships which is important was , skipper Nigra Sultana and Shamin Akhtar, the pair made 77 runs and took Bangladesh to 150 for 3 wickets in the 41st over.
A young lassie 19 years of age walks in at the fall of her captain’s wicket. Remember that name, Shona Akhtar, she tore the South African bowlers to all parts of the park with 3 massive sixes, 3 boundaries with a strike rate of 145 plus, and shell shocked the crowd at the stadium with pure power hitting, the best by a Bangladesh batter ever in women’s cricket.
The tigers made 82 runs in the final 10 overs , with Shona Akhtar, the new kid off the blocks, recording the fastest 50 so far even beating Alyssa Healy by securing the milestone in 35 deliveries.
South Africa controlled the run flow by using their two left arm spinners up until the 40th over. Malaba, the leading wicket taker in this World Cup so far, took 2 for 42 and Chole Tyrone 1 for 41.
A target of 233 against Bangladesh is challenging. They have an excellent spin cordon. This was proved upfront as Tazmin Brits was caught and bowled by Nahida Akther for no score with South Africa total on 3. Bangladesh made the first catching error when Rubya Khan dropped the South African skipper Laura Woolverdart when she was struggling against Bangladesh spin batting on 6. Caught and bowled opportunity went a begging, an easy opportunity in all honesty.
The run out of the South African skipper after she made 31 was a comedy of errors. She choked in an attempt to take a second run, which was within her running distance, but went ball watching. South Africa slumped to 78 for 5 wickets, and the dew factor was now playing its part as the Bangladesh spinners struggled to grip the ball.
Chole Tyron and Marzan Kapp took advantage, and rightly so.
The pair stitched a match winning partnership of 95 runs for the 6th wicket, Marrizane Kapp threw it away, batting on 56 caught by Marufa Akhtar at long off with the score on 163 for 6 wickets in the 40th over. Chole Tyrone batting with fluency and taking South Africa towards the victory target has a brain failure, runs herself out for 62, and the tension was visible in the South African hutch with South Africa on 198 in the 47th over.
Light at the end of the tunnel for the Proteas, and a slip between the cup and the lip for Bangladesh as Shona Akhtar missed an easy catch off the bat of Nadini de Klerk in the 48th over that cost the tigers the game.
Nadini De Klerk thumped 12 runs in 4 balls in the final over, remained unbeaten on 37, and got South Africa over the line.
Bangladesh 232 /6
Shona Akhtar 51 ,Shamin Akhtar 50 ,Nigra Sultana 32, Fargana Haque 30, Rubya Khan 25. Malaba 2 for 42 ,Chole Tyrone 1 for 41.
South Africa 237 for 7
Chole Tyrone 62 , Marrizane Kapp 56 , Nadin de Klerk 37 not out.
Nadin Akhtar 2 for 44