Bangladesh won a T20 cricket world cup match for the first time since 2014, by defeating Scotland by 16 runs.
Saskia Horley took three late wickets to strangle Bangladesh who had been coalesced by Sobhana Mostary, Bangladesh’s leading scorer with 36, as they posted 119 for 7.
Scoring 120, Scotland was consistent between comfort and chaos; Sarah Bryce struggled to find her partner as Bangladesh sealed a monumental win.
Batting first after winning the toss, Bangladesh set their highest first-wicket record at ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with 26.
Rachel Slater had the privilege of delivering the first ball for Scotland at the World Cup but it was the skipper Kathryn Bryce who took the first scalp, Katherine Fraser effecting the bushes to dismiss Murshida Khatun for 12.
It meant that Slater avoided more embarrassment of being bowled to Murshida, having bowed her out thrice earlier.
Sobhana scored her second boundary when the ball was deftly flicked to the boundary before drinks was called at an undoubtedly hot Sharjah sun before giving Scotland time to compose themselves.
But it was opener Shathi Rani to come back hard from the drinks break including a beautiful shot for four.
That breakthrough went to Fraser as she got rid of Shathi for 29 off 32 balls which thereby bringing Bangladesh to 68 for two with eight overs remaining.
From there, Scotland wickets were taken at regular intervals to stop Bangladesh as they cam for their highest World Cup score of 126.
Once Sobhana has left for 36, the stable hand of Nigar Sultana Joty came in at a run-a-ball 18 before being bowled by Horley who took best bowling figures of three for 13.
Responding to 119, Horley compiled Scotland’s first runs of a World Cup, fours the fourth ball of their pursuit before getting stumped on eight.
Bryce sisters – Kathryn and Sarah began sedately before the latter took two fours in third both to ensure Scotland were still in the competition as the required rate reached almost a run per ball.
Their innings went high and low and Kathryn was clean bowled by Marufa Akter befor Scotland went 17 balls without a boundary.
Sarah Bryce and Priyanaz Chatterji then settled in nicely, scoring 10 off the youngster Shorna Akter, the 12th over yielding six more ran to ease Scotland to 65 runs, three behind Bangladesh at the same stage. Misfortune was thus unleashed again to again plague Chatterji, who was yorker run-out having not taken Bryce’s call and it exposed all-out attacks as Darcey Carter’s big hit to the long-on was superbly caught by a properly leaping Fahima Khatun who erupts in joy.
The Bangladesh players continued cracking hilarious grins as they choked the life out of Scotland in the game.
Sarah Bryce scored 49 out of 56 but Nahida Akter became the first Bangladeshi woman to take 100 T20I wickets and took the last wicket to give Bangladesh a 16-run victory.
