Women's T20 World Cup: Bangladesh beat Scotland by 16 runs in opener

Bangladesh put an end to their decade-long drought by securing a victory in a Women’s T20 World Cup match against Scotland, triumphing by 16 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The Tigresses had last tasted victory in April 2014 when they defeated Ireland by 17 runs. However, following that win, they faced a string of 16 consecutive losses in the tournament, failing to secure a single victory in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023.

In a remarkable turn of events, Nigar Sultana Joty’s team managed to clinch their third win out of 22 matches in the history of the tournament against Scotland. Despite Scotland's strong effort in their T20 World Cup debut, their lack of experience ultimately led to their defeat. The Scots will be seeking redemption as they face West Indies in Dubai on Sunday.

Opting to bat first in challenging hot and humid conditions, Bangladesh struggled to reach a total of 119 for the loss of seven wickets. Murishida Khatun received an early reprieve after being dropped by Olivia Bell, but was soon dismissed by Kathryn Bryce. Sobhana Mostary and opener Shathi Rani then stabilized the innings with a 42-run partnership for the second wicket.

Katherine Fraser broke the partnership by removing Rani, who scored 29 off 32 balls. Debutant Taj Nehar had a disappointing start, getting out for a golden duck. Mostary held the innings together until the 16th over, scoring 36 off 38 balls before falling to Bell.

Off-spinner Saskia Horley put a halt to Bangladesh's progress with impressive figures of 3 wickets for 13 runs in her 2 overs. Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty, playing in her 100th T20I, pushed herself down the order to No.5 but could only manage 18 runs off 18 balls. 

In pursuit of a modest target of 120 runs, Scotland faced difficulties in gaining momentum and failed to apply pressure on their opponents. Despite an exceptional performance with the ball, Horley was unable to deliver with the bat after being dismissed by leg-spinner Fahima Khatun. Kathryn Bryce showed promise with a couple of boundaries, but was swiftly removed by the talented pacer Marufa Akter.

Sarah Bryce, the top run-scorer for Scotland in Women’s T20Is, fought valiantly until the end, finishing unbeaten on 49 runs from 52 balls. However, her efforts were in vain as she lacked support from her teammates. Scotland's struggle was evident as they were unable to hit a boundary in the final nine overs of the match.

On the other hand, Nahida Akter of Bangladesh achieved a significant milestone by reaching 100 T20I wickets after dismissing Katherine Fraser. Ritu Moni's exceptional performance, with figures of 4-0-15-2, played a crucial role in Bangladesh's success in restricting Scotland to 103 for seven. This victory marked a strong start to Bangladesh's campaign in the tournament.

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