Bangladesh Women into the ICC WT20
Asma Khandaker: Bangladesh Women made their way into the ICC World T20 India 2016. They defeated Zimbabwe Women in the semi-final of the Women’s World T20 Qualifier and progressed to the final of the event, thus confirming a spot in the main event to be held in India in 2016.
The start of the match for the Women was not a pleasing one at all. The first six overs brought in only 13 runs and three wickets were already taken down. Bangladesh Women were sent to bat first after Zimbabwe Women won the toss.
Nikomo struck twice in the fifth over to drag the Bangladesh Women further in the back foot on a crucial match as this. Fargana and Sharmin from this point onwards took the responsibility up well and added a patient approach to the match. They added 51 runs between them before Sharmin Akhter was run out in the 16th over. Fargana was still in and was playing well, but she also perished falling short of her crease in the last over. Before getting out, she scored 43 off 43 and it is because of her sensible approach that the Women put on 89 on board for the loss of 5 wickets.
It is evident from the last few matches and the past experience of Bangladesh Women that their bowling and fielding departments are much better off than the batting and yet again they proved it. Jahanara started off with a maiden, but Zimbabwe Women were into the runs from the second over before Mupachikwa was run out and the score was held back to some extent.
Rumana Ahmed struck twice in her second over which was a double-wicket maiden as well and probably that was where the Zimbabwean girls lost track of the game. Rumana’s third over generated yet another breakthrough and Fahima Khatun too struck first ball of the 10th over. Things were getting close to the hands for Bangladesh Women and at the same time difficult for their Zimbabwean counterparts. The score was held back with success and wickets were falling cheap and fast at the other end.
The Zimbabwean Women were unable to score a single boundary from the 10th over till the end and the pressure mounted well on them. Rumana Ahmed came in to bowl her last over in the 19th and ended up taking another wicket-maiden and with excellent bowling figures, 4-2-8-4! The last wicket fell in the last over, which was yet another run out!
The wicket fall started with a run out and ended the same way. Rumana Ahmed starred with the ball yet again, this time a much classy performance to elevate her team to the ICC World T20 2016. Khadija Tul Kubra bowled well too, gave away only 8 runs in her 4 over but was deprived of wickets. Rumana was the Player of the Match and rightly so.
