Tigresses reach Asia Cup final

Sports Desk: Bangladesh Women's cricket team took on host Malaysia women in their last group match of the ACC Women's Asia Cup 2018 today (on Saturday) at Kinrara Oval, Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur and confirmed their berth in the final match against defending champion India beating Malaysia women by 70 runs.

Winning the toss the Tigresses elected to bat first and got off to a very promising start as they scored 59 runs in 9.5 overs before Ayasha Rahman went back to the pavilion after scoring 31 runs off 27 balls. However, the Tigresses cruised along and put a total of 130 runs for four on the scoreboard courtesy of a late cameo from Fahima Khatun, who remained not out after scoring 26 runs off just 12 balls. Opener Shamima Sultana scored 43 runs off 54 balls.

In reply, Malaysia women could only manage to score 60 runs for 9 in 20 overs as they struggled from the beginning. Only three players managed to reach double figures for Malaysia women cricket team with the highest 17 run knock coming from the skipper Duraisingam’s bat. The leg break bowler of Bangladesh women cricket team, Rumana Ahmed took 3 wickets for 8 runs from four overs while skipper Salma, Jahanara, Nahida and Khadija took a wicket each.

Earlier, Bangladesh women started their ACC Women's Asia Cup 2018 mission with a six-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka women, who bounced back in the next match beating Pakistan women by seven wickets on June 4. Bangladesh eves caught the spotlight beating six times champion India women by seven wickets on June 6 and extended their winning streak smashing Thailand by nine wickets in the following day.

India are the champion of all previous six editions of the tournament, who got Sri Lanka for four times and Pakistan for two times in the final encounters. The seventh edition thus is going to be witness of minimum one new finalist.

Tigresses are now set to face India Women in the final of Women’s T20 Asia Cup at the same venue tomorrow (June 10).

Scores in brief

Bangladesh: 130 for 4 in 20 overs (Shamima 43, Ayasha 31, Fahima 26 not out; Duraisingam 2-19, Sasha 1-29)

Malaysia:  60 for 9 in 20 overs (Duraisingam 17, Elysa 14, Yaakop 11; Rumana 3-8)

Result: Bangladesh women won by 70 runs.

Player-of-the-match: Shamima Sultana.


risingbd/Dhaka/June 9, 2018/Yeasin/AI