Bangladesh ready for main fight after two wins

Nigar Sultana’s side sets out to earn a spot in the World Cup set to be held in India.

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Match Summary Bangladesh: 276 in 49.4 overs Pakistan ‘A’: 109 in 39.1 overs

In their first warm-up match, they chased down a target of over 250 to claim victory. In the next game, they batted first, posted a big total, and then bundled out the opposition for a small score to seal a comfortable win. Ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, Bangladesh got the perfect chance to sharpen their skills in both batting and bowling departments.

In the second and final warm-up game before the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, Bangladesh crushed Pakistan ‘A’ by a massive 167 runs on Tuesday. At Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, fifties from Nigar Sultana and Fargana Hoque powered the team to a solid 276-run total, before the local side were bowled out for just 109.

In their first practice match on Sunday, Nigar’s team had chased down a 252-run target to beat Scotland by 5 wickets.

Over the past few years, Bangladesh’s batting has often been a major concern — including on their most recent tour to the West Indies. So, ahead of the qualifiers, the team put extra emphasis on batting during their training camp.

Scoring over 250 in both warm-up matches, the batters showed signs of a positive turnaround.

In Tuesday’s match, the innings got off to a shaky start with Ishma Tanzim and Sharmin Akter falling cheaply. But under pressure, the team’s two most experienced batters steadied the ship with a 109-run stand for the third wicket. Fargana retired voluntarily after reaching her fifty, following a 48-run knock in the previous match.

Nigar Sultana scored a classy 70 off 72 balls, hitting 9 boundaries and a six. Later, Jannatul Ferdous Sumona added fireworks with an unbeaten 46 off just 34 balls, smashing 8 fours. Dilara Akter also contributed with a handy 29.

In the bowling attack, Marufa Akter, Rabeya, and Fahima Khatun each picked up two wickets to help bowl out Pakistan ‘A’ for just 109.

With the warm-up stage complete, the qualifiers kick off on Wednesday. Bangladesh will play their first match on Thursday against Thailand at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground.

In this six-team tournament, every team plays the others once. The top two teams from the points table will earn a ticket to the World Cup in India.