Emotions were running high as Bangladesh registered their first win in a decade while playing in the Women’s T20 World Cup. Bangladesh women beat Scotland women in the tournament opener of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 on October 3 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana was down on the ground with her head buried between her hands as she became emotional after the historic win. The whole Bangladesh camp was elated as they together celebrated breaking their 16-match losing streak in the tournament.
“We have been waiting for this for a long time. This means a lot for us and everyone in the team. It was a kind of wicket where you need time to settle and Shathi and Mostary managed to do that. The conditions were pretty hot and we ran a lot of twos. We are trying to do something different, Tej came up and tried to hit some boundaries, but unfortunately she got out. We have the momentum, seeing the girls happy and smiling is the biggest inspiration for me,” Sultana said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Bangladesh win after a decade
BAN vs SCO: Match Report
Bangladesh off to a winning start
Bangladesh had their first win in the Women’s T20 World Cup since 2014. They waited, waited and waited and finally snapped the losing streak at their home T20 World Cup. Bangladesh kicked off their T20 World Cup campaign with a hard-fought win against Scotland in their opening encounter. After electing to bat first, Bangladesh found runs hard to come by on a slow surface. Their batters struggled to find momentum, and regular wickets further halted their progress. Despite a few promising starts, no player managed to push on, and the team limped to 119/6 in their 20 overs. Scotland’s bowlers, especially their spinners, kept things tight, but their fielding let them down with multiple dropped catches and mis-fields.
In reply, Scotland never looked comfortable during the chase. Sarah Bryce remained unbeaten, holding one end, but lack of support from the other batters meant that Scotland struggled to keep up with the required run rate. Bangladesh’s bowlers stuck to their plans, varying their pace and building pressure. Nahida Akter and Marufa Akter led the attack, picking up crucial wickets, while Moni’s spell in the middle overs proved to be the turning point.
Despite a few mis-fields of their own, Bangladesh’s slightly better fielding effort made the difference as they restricted Scotland to 97/8, clinching the match by 22 runs. It was a crucial win for Bangladesh as they started their campaign on a positive note.