Bangladesh qualify for semis after thrashing Malaysia

|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh qualified for the semi-final of the Women's Asia Cup 2024 after thrashing Malaysia by 114 runs in their final Group B match of the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Dambulla on Wednesday.

If Sri Lanka beat Thailand in Group B's last match, scheduled later on the day, Tigresses will progress to the semis as group runners-up and will face India in the first semifinal on Friday at the same venue.

Bangladesh are in a favourable position as Thailand will have to beat Sri Lanka by a significant margin to have shot at making the last four by virtue of a greater net run-rate than the Tigresses.

Murshida Khatun achieved a career-best 80 off 59 balls, while captain Nigar Sultana Joty remained unbeaten with 62 off 37 balls, leading the Bangladesh national women's team to a massive total of 191-2 in their 20 overs.

This score marks Bangladesh's second-highest in this format, with the highest being 255-2 against the Maldives during the 2019 SA Games in Pokhara, where both Joty and Fargana Hoque scored unbeaten centuries. Initially, this match was not considered a WT20I, but the ICC later recognized it as an international fixture.

Bangladesh's total of 158-1 against the USA during the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi, UAE, is now their third-highest in this format.

Murshida's innings included 10 fours and a six. She and Dilara Akter (33) put together 65 runs, setting a solid foundation for the team after opting to bat first. After Dilara's departure, Murshida formed a rapid 89-run partnership with Joty, pushing Bangladesh's score past the 150-run mark before being dismissed by Elsa Hunter in the 17th over, narrowly missing her maiden hundred in this format.

This was Murshida's second consecutive half-century in the tournament after missing the first match against Sri Lanka. Joty then dominated the Malaysian bowlers in the final overs, completing her eighth WT20I fifty and helping Bangladesh achieve the second-highest total in the tournament.

In response, Malaysia could muster only 77 for 8. They ended their campaign without a win but one hopes they would be richer for the experience.