Desk Report:
The Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match has now taken on a different dimension. Not only boys’ cricket, but also women’s cricket is equally contested. Last night, Sri Lanka played till the last ball at the Cricket Club Ground (CCG) Stadium in Colombo, but could not defeat Bangladesh led by Nigar Sultana Jyoti.
The Women’s ODI World Cup will begin with the India-Sri Lanka match at the Barjapara Stadium in Guwahati the day after tomorrow. The teams are completing their preparation phase before entering the main phase. The Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match at the CCG Stadium in Colombo was part of the preparation for the World Cup. Bangladesh defeated the host Sri Lankans by 1 run in the warm-up match. Earlier, Bangladesh played a warm-up match against South Africa at this CCG in Colombo on September 25. But the Bangladesh-South Africa match was abandoned due to rain. In that match, Bangladesh scored 45 runs for 3 wickets in 9 overs.
Chasing a target of 243 runs set by Bangladesh last night at CCG, Sri Lanka kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Even the Sri Lankan run rate dropped below 4. The hosts were 86 for 4 in 23.1 overs. In such a situation, Nilakshika Silva and Kavisha Dilhari put on a 98-run partnership for the fifth wicket off 102 balls. Dilhari was bowled off Nishita Akhtar Nishi’s first ball of the 41st over. Dilhari returned with 63 runs off 7 fours and 7 sixes.
After Dilhari’s dismissal, Sri Lanka were on 59 runs off 59 balls. The Sri Lankans then had 5 wickets. In such a situation, the hosts kept losing wickets as well as scoring runs. While Nahida Akhtar took the wicket of Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer Nilakshika in the second ball of the 49th over. Nilakshika scored 75 runs off 78 balls with 7 fours and 1 sixes. Sri Lanka, who had reached 231 for 8 in 48.2 overs, had a long way to go with 11 runs from 10 balls.
When the equation was 2 runs off the last ball, Marufa Akhtar snatched the victory for the hosts by returning the Sri Lankan batter Sugandhika Kumari. Sri Lanka lost all their wickets after playing the full 50 overs and scored 241 runs. Bangladesh’s best bowler Nahida Akhtar took 3 wickets. She spent 28 runs in 10 overs. Fahima Khatun and Nahida took two wickets each. Nishi and Rabeya Khan got one wicket each. Sri Lanka’s Imesha Dulani was run out.
Earlier yesterday, Bangladesh captain Jyoti decided to bat first. Jyoti’s team scored 242 for 8 in the stipulated 50 overs. Sharmin Akhtar scored the highest innings of 71 runs. She hit seven fours in her 101-ball innings. Sri Lanka’s Dilhari, Deomi Bihanga, and Malki Madara got two wickets each. Bangladesh’s first match in the World Cup is on October 2. The Jyotiraos will face Pakistan at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo that day.
