Shorna Akter played a whirlwind cameo of 51 runs off 35 balls laid the platform for Bangladesh. The late flourish taking Bangladesh to a competitive 232/6, their highest score in ODIs. South Africa bowled decently with Mlaba picking up two wickets and other chipped in. South Africa will fancy chasing 233 runs to win this game but won’t be straightforward as it seems. Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
Bangladesh off to a steady start in the powerplay against disciplined South Africa bowling
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Fargana Hoque and Rubya Haider came out to open for Bangladesh while Marizanne Kapp had ball in hand for South Africa. Kapp started with a decent first over. Masabata Klaas took the ball from the other end. She too kept things under check. Kapp continued and kept things tight as runs came in singles at this stage. Klaas also gave nothing away to the Bangladesh batters. Kapp bowled another miserly over.
Hoque finally broke the shackles as she danced down the track and slammed it past mid-off for a boundary. She got another boundary away two balls later by pulling the short ball through backward square leg. Kapp continued and bowled another miserly over. Klaas too bowled a decent over. Kapp was miserly as ever giving nothing away.
Nadine de Klerk was introduced into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Haider got her first boundary away by nailing the slog sweep down on one knee through forward square leg for a boundary. At the end of the first 10 overs of powerplay, Bangladesh were 28/0 and off to a steady start.
South Africa chip away striking twice to keep Bangladesh to 73/2 in 25 overs.
Chloe Tryon was introduced into the attack post the powerplay. Haider got down on one knee and nailed the slog sweep through deep midwicket and deep backward square leg for a boundary. Nadine continued and bowled a decent over. Tryon too bowled a decent over. Nadine de Klerk bowled another decent over. Tryon continued and bowled another miserly over. Drinks was taken at the score of 49/0 in 15 overs.
The 50 came up for Bangladesh and of the partnership in 15.1 overs. Klerk kept things under check. Tryon got the first wicket for South Africa as she dismissed Haider for 25 off 52 balls with 2 fours to her name. Tryon tossed it up full and wide outside off-stump drifting away. Haider got down on one knee and looked to drag the slog sweep on the leg side. She failed to clear de Klerk at mid-on. Haider mistimed the stroke and found de Klerk at mid-on who took a good low catch. Sharmin Akhter came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Akhter managed to get a streaky boundary away that raced away to third man boundary through the outside edge. Tumi Sekhukhune came into the attack next. She started her spell with a decent first over. Tryon continued and bowled another tight over. Sekhukhune bowled another tight over as Bangladesh reached 63/1 in 20 overs.
Nonkululeko Mlaba came into the attack next. Hoque was cheeky as she rocked back and guided it past the right of diving first slip for a boundary. Sekhukhune bowled another quiet over. Mlaba also kept things under check. Sekhukhune again was giving nothing away. Mlaba then got rid of Hoque 30 off 76 balls with 3 fours to her name under extraordinary circumstances.
Mlaba tossed it up full around leg which gripped and turned away. Fargana got down on one knee and looked to sweep it. The ball might have come off the glove as the ball lobbed up to the keeper Jafta who took the catch. TV umpire was called for. There was no glove involved, but LBW was checked as well. There, it was Three Reds and the decision was overturned to OUT as South Africa celebrated. Nigar Sultana came out to bat next as Bangladesh reached 73/2 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
Shorna Akhter & Nigar Sultana guides Bangladesh to 150/2 in 40 overs.
Masabata Klaas came back into the attack and bowled a quiet over. Mlaba continued as Sultana rocked back and cut the short and wide ball through cover point region for a boundary. Klaas continued as Akhter flicked it away through midwicket for a boundary. Mlaba continued as Sultana smashed her through the covers for a boundary.
Nadine de Klerk came back into the attack as Sultana cut it away off the short and wide ball through the left of backward point for a boundary as Bangladesh reached 100/2 in 30 overs as Drinks was called onto the field.
Tryon continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Nadine continued and bowled a decent over. Sultana completed 1000 runs as Bangladesh captain in ODIs. Tryon continued and kept the scoring under check. Nadine continued as Sharmin pulled it away by rocking back and got it past left of midwicket for a boundary. Tryon continued and bowled another tight over.
Tumi Sekhukhune came back into the attack next. Sultana hammered her through the leg side and got it away between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Mlaba came back into the attack. Sharmin cut her away off the short ball past backward point for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Sekhukhune continued as Sharmin tickled away fine and away to the fine leg fence as well. Mlaba continued as Sultana survived a terrible mix-up and survived a close run out chance. Direct hit was missed.
Sultana got down on one knee and lapped it down to fine leg fence for a boundary off Sekhukhune. Sharmin caressed Sekhukhune through the covers as she crunched it hard for a boundary as the 150 came up for Bangladesh. At the end of 40 overs, Bangladesh were 150/2 and an important last 10 overs lay ahead of us.
Late flourish from Shorna Akter amidst wickets falling helps Bangladesh reach 232/6 in 50 overs
Mlaba returned and got South Africa the breakthrough as she removed Sultana for 32 off 42 balls with 5 fours to her name. Mlaba tossed it up full around middle and leg from around the wicket. Sultana stepped out and looked to club it over the top of short extra cover. She failed to clear her opposite number as it was hit flat and hard. Wolvaardt at short extra cover took a sharp catch. Shorna Akter came out to bat next.
Akter swept away as she got down on one knee and swept it firmly past the left of diving deep backward square leg for a boundary to get off the mark. Tryon continued as Sharmin brought up her half-century in 74 balls as she held the innings together. Shorna took on Tryon as she stepped down the track and tonked it over long-on for the maximum.
Mlaba continued as Sharmin Akhter was run out for 50 off 77 balls with 6 fours to her name as the mix-up cost the Bangladesh team the wicket. Sobhana Mostary came out to bat next and got off the mark with boundary by glancing it past the left of short fine leg for a boundary.
Tryon continued and bowled another decent over and finished her spell. Mlaba continued and bowled a decent over and completed her spell. Bangladesh were 175/4 in 45 overs. Tumi Sekhukhune came back into the attack as Shorna took her on and cleared her front leg and clubbed it over long-on for the maximum. Then she threw her hands at it and got the thick outside edge which ran down to the third man fence. Shorna cleared mid-off for a boundary.
Nadine continued as Mostary was then run out at the striker’s end via a direct hit from Sekhukhune as Mostary made 9 off 8 balls with a boundary to her name. Rabeya Khan came out to bat next. She was cleaned up by de Klerk for a silver duck. Nadine bowled it full and straight at the stumps right in the block hole. Rabeya failed to get her bat down in time and she missed it on the under edge and the ball shattered the stumps. Ritu Moni came out to bat next.
Kapp came back into the attack as the 200 came up for Bangladesh in 47.3 overs. Moni took the attack to Kapp as she delicately opened the bat face and guided it through backward point and short third man for a boundary. Moni then helped it on its way past short fine leg for a boundary. Kapp got hit for a boundary again as Moni got it away past backward point for a boundary.
Nadine de Klerk continued as Shorna took her on and clobbered the ball into the stands over deep midwicket for the maximum. Sekhukhune came to bowl the last over. Shorna got to her half century in 34 balls the fastest fifty by a Bangladeshi player. A few ones and twos were scored as Bangladesh reached their highest score in World Cup history finishing with 232/6 in 50 overs. Shorna Akter remained unbeaten on 51 off 35 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to her name. Ritu Moni remained unbeaten on 19 off 8 balls with 3 fours to her name. 16 extras given by the fielding side.
South Africa bowled decently as a whole. Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with 2/42 in 10 overs. Chloe Tryon finished with 1/41 in 10 overs. Nadine de Klerk finished with 1/39 in 9 overs. There were two run outs in the innings. Marizanne Kapp finished with 0/27 in 6 overs. Masabata Klaas finished with 0/22 in 6 overs. Tumi Sekhukhune finished with 0/57 in 9 overs. South Africa now need 233 runs to win to go third on the points table.
What Lies Ahead.
Bangladesh have battled their way and have done well to get runs on the board as they made 232/6 in 50 overs. It is something to bowl at for their bowlers. But South Africa has the batting and with dew around and the pitch being decent, they will fancy their chances. But if Bangladesh get early wickets, South Africa could feel the pinch tonight.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here as the game can go either ways one feels.
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