Bangladesh 104-4 (Nigar Sultana 35*, KE Bryce 2 for 13) beat Scotland 49-6 (KE Bryce 21, Khadija Tul Kubra 1 for 7) by 13 runs (DLS method)
Scotland’s World Cup dream is over after a 13-run defeat on DLS to Bangladesh ended their hopes of progression to the knock-out stages of the T20 World Cup Qualifier at Forthill. Despite another fine performance from skipper Kathryn Bryce, a disciplined all-round display from the tournament favourites was enough to see them through as winners of Group A after Scotland fell well short in chasing their revised target.
Sunday’s loss to PNG had made this match a must-win for the hosts, and with rain in the air Kathryn Bryce signalled her intention to attack by asking Bangladesh to bat first after calling correctly at the toss. The potential for fragility in Bangladesh’s batting had been exposed in their narrow victory over PNG in their rescheduled match on Monday, and although Sanjida Islam and Murshida Khatun began strongly against Scotland’s opening pair of Bryce and Priyanaz Chatterji, the loss of Sanjida (4) to a terrific diving catch by Katherine Fraser running to her right at mid-off presented them with an early setback. Rachel Hawkins and Abtaha Maqsood kept things tight as spin replaced seam, and with Bangladesh at 26 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay, Scotland, their tails up, were in the game.
Murshida and Nigar Sultana kept the scoreboard moving, the former advancing at a run-a-ball as she looked to rotate the strike, but with the score on 47 for 1 in the ninth she advanced down the track to Maqsood (2 for 20) once too often and was stumped by Sarah Bryce for 26. The leg-spinner’s next over brought her a second as Ritu Moni (4) was bowled; two wickets had fallen in eleven balls, and Bangladesh were 62 for 3.
By now the dampness had turned to drizzle, and with the increasingly wet ball making bowling ever more difficult, new batter Fargana Hoque took advantage with some well-placed shots for ones and twos. Sultana, too, was showing her experience, dancing down the pitch to hit Fraser over cover for a boundary in the sixteenth as the total moved into the 90s. In the increasingly heavy rain Scotland needed a breakthrough, and it came in the next over as Fargana (23) misread a slower ball from the returning Kathryn Bryce to be trapped plumb in front as she attempted to pull across the line.
It proved to be the last significant act of the innings. The players left the field three balls later with the score at 104 for 4, and when Scotland returned it was to chase a new target of 63 off eight overs. Sarah Bryce was straight off the mark with a cut for two as 5 came from Jahanara Alam’s first over, but two balls later the wicketkeeper-batter was stumped for 3 as she attempted to force the pace against the spin of Nahida Akter. Kathryn Bryce picked up two well-placed boundaries, but when Ritu Moni found Lorna Jack’s leading edge, Scotland were 18 for 2 after three.
A misfield from Alam presented Rachel Hawkins with a bonus boundary at the end of the fifth, but the sixth brought a double run-out as Scotland looked to find 30 off the last three. Hawkins (9) was inches short of her ground after setting off for a tight single while Becky Glen (2) fell to a direct hit from Moni as only 4 came from the over, and when Ruth Willis (2) and Kathryn Bryce (21) followed in the seventh, Scotland’s challenge was all but over. Priyanaz Chatterji smashed her second ball over the top for four, but Akter saw out the final over to confirm her side’s victory by 14 runs.
The result represents the end of a hugely disappointing week for Scotland, who entered the tournament with high hopes of qualifying for the final stages of a World Cup for the first time in their history. Bangladesh will now play Ireland, with PNG contesting the other Semi-Final against Thailand.
