Bangladesh Under-23 cricket team’s left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam (R) celebrates one of his five wickets with team-mates during their 13th SA Games men’s cricket match against Maldives at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kathmandu on Wednesday. — BOA photo
Bangladesh women’s cricket team made history by notching up the country’s first ever 10-wicket win in international cricket, by thrashing Nepal by 10 wickets in their second match of the 13th South Asian Games at the Pokhara Rangasala Stadum in Pokhara, Nepal on Wednesday.
Neither the men’s team nor the women’s team had earlier won an international cricket match in any format by this margin and the win also secured a final’s berth for the women’s team in the four-team event.
Bangladesh Under-23 cricket men’s team also began their campaign on a winning note as they beat Maldives by 109 runs in their first match at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kathmandu on the same day.
In women’s cricket, debutant Rabeya Khan claimed 4-8 while Jahanara Alam took two wickets as Bangladesh bowled out Nepal for just 50 runs in 19.2 overs before racing to 51-0 in 7.4 overs to complete the historic win.
Nepal, who beat Maldives by 10 wickets in their opening match, lost both their openers early as Jahanara picked up
both the wickets after Bangladesh sent the hosts to bat first.
Rubina Chhetry Belbashi (13), Sonu Khadka (12) and Indu Barma (10) were the only players to reach the double figure mark for Nepal as the Bangladesh bowlers, led by Rabeya, claimed their last seven wickets for just nine runs to bowl out the hosts for an embarrassing total.
In reply, openers Ayasha Rahman (26 not out) and Murshida Khatun
(23 not out) provided an unbroken 51-run opening stand to help Bangladesh race towards their second successive victory in the Games.
Earlier, the women’s team beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in their opening match of the meet at the same venue on Tuesday.
In men’s cricket, batting first Bangladesh scored 174-4 in 20 overs after skipper Nazmul Hossain made highest 49 runs while Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim made 46 and 38 runs respectively.
In reply, left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam claimed 5-17 while Minhajul Abedin and Afif Hossain
took two wickets each as Bangladesh bowled the opposition out for 65 runs in 19.2 overs to secure a thumping win.
Tanvir expressed his satisfaction with the overall performance of the team and credited their batsmen for their performance in a tough wicket.
‘Alhamdulillah, we made a good start in the SA Games. I am satisfied with my bowling performance today [Wednesday]. It was a turning wicket and I was able to bowl in the good areas. I think because of that I was able to get five wickets in the match,’ he said after the match.
‘I think we had posted a good score in this wicket…I will credit our batsmen for their performance. The way the batsmen played, I think they deserved the credit,’ he added.
Bangladesh Under-23 men’s team will take on Bhutan in their second match in Kathmandu on Friday while the women’s team will face Maldives in their third and final group-phase match today in Pokhara.
Source: New Age.
