Bangladesh suffered a heartbreaking defeat to South Africa in another thrilling contest at the ICC Women’s World Cup. Defending a target of 233, the Tigresses battled until the final over but missed fielding opportunities cost them the match.
Despite the loss, captain Nigar Sultana Joty expressed pride in her young team’s determination and fighting spirit.
“I’m truly proud of the way the girls fought until the last ball,” said Joty. “At the same time, I feel sorry for them because they were in tears in the dressing room. They are very young. But everyone gave 110 percent today and I’m happy with that. They were emotional, yet they believed we could win. Overall, it is a valuable learning experience for us.”
Bangladesh had the upper hand early in the defence, reducing South Africa to 78 for 5. However, Laura Wolvaardt’s side recovered well, before once again faltering at 198 for 7. With only nine runs required, Nadine de Klerk offered Bangladesh a lifeline with a catch to long-off, but Shorna Akter dropped a straightforward chance. Earlier, Sumaiya Akter misjudged a catch at deep mid-wicket which went for four, and the team also failed to capitalise on several run-out opportunities.
Despite these missed chances, Joty praised her bowlers and the team’s tactical discipline. “Even during the innings and the breaks, we spoke about hitting the right lengths. The bowlers did it well today. We know this is a young team, but they are growing match by match. The way they bounced back after the New Zealand game has been excellent,” she said.
Bangladesh’s innings had started cautiously, with openers Fargana Pinky and Rubaiya Haider putting on 28 runs in the first 10 overs without losing a wicket. They reached 53 in 16.1 overs before the stand was broken. Joty explained the cautious start, saying, “Our plan was not to lose any wickets in the powerplay. We needed a solid partnership, and we got that. Pinky is very experienced and played well. The middle-order batters tried to give their best too, although we were probably 10 to 15 runs short.”
One of the highlights of the innings came from Shorna Akter, who hit the fastest fifty of the tournament so far, reaching the milestone in just 34 balls. Her performance drew praise from her captain.
“I have been saying for a while that Shorna had not been able to give her best in the middle, but she has always tried. We knew she had the potential. Today, the way she batted, everyone enjoyed it. She showed us how to bat in this format,” said Joty.
With three group stage matches still remaining, Bangladesh are not yet out of contention for the semi-finals. Joty urged her players to stay focused and continue learning.
“In the England match, we also took five quick wickets, but after 30 overs we could not bowl in the right areas. Today, it was different. The team is young, but they are improving. I have told them, this is not our last match,” she said.
