Bangladesh Clinches Impressive Victory Against Proteas in Benoni

The formidable Bangladesh women's team secured a remarkable victory against the Proteas, with Swarna-Murshidar delivering an outstanding performance in the first T20 of the South Africa tour.

SBS Desk

December 03, 2023

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Bangladesh Clinches Impressive Victory Against Proteas in Benoni

The formidable Bangladesh women's team secured a remarkable victory against the Proteas, with Swarna-Murshidar delivering an outstanding performance in the first T20 of the South Africa tour. The holders of the red-green jersey triumphed over the Protea women by a margin of 13 runs. Opting to bat first in Benoni, Bangladesh set a target of 150 runs for South Africa. In response, the hosts' innings concluded at 136 runs, facing Bangladesh's disciplined bowling. This victory marked the beginning of a promising series for Bangladesh against the Proteas.

Opening the innings after winning the toss in Benoni, Shamima Sultana and Murshida Khatun laid a solid foundation. The duo forged a partnership of 44 runs off 42 balls. Shamima's departure after scoring 24 runs off 24 balls disrupted the pair, but Sobhana Mostari, entering at number three, couldn't make a lasting impact, departing after scoring 16 runs off 17 balls. Nevertheless, the captain, Jyoti, assumed control for the Nigar team. Before her dismissal, Murshida contributed 39 runs in 37 balls alongside Khatun.

Following the departure of Captain Jyoti, the run rate escalated further. Murshida, displaying excellent batting skills, notched up the fourth half-century of her career in just 35 balls. She remained unbeaten with an innings of 62 runs off 59 balls, including 6 fours and 1 six. At the other end, Jyoti played a brisk innings of 34 runs off 21 balls, hitting 6 fours. Bangladesh set the highest score against South Africa, posting 149 runs for the loss of 2 wickets.

The Protea batsmen struggled to score quickly against Bangladesh's disciplined bowling. The hosts managed to score 19 runs without losing any wicket in the initial 3 overs. Subsequently, South Africa launched an aggressive attack, accumulating 54 runs without losing a wicket in the first 6 overs. Tazmin Brits hit two sixes off Bangladesh offspinner Sharifa Khatun in the sixth over. The South African openers, Aneke Bosk and Brits, added 69 runs off 57 balls in the opening partnership. Rabeya Khan broke the pair with the third ball of the tenth over, dismissing Brits after scoring 30 runs in 26 balls with 3 fours and 1 six. Despite a strong start, South Africa managed to score 54 runs in the first 6 overs.

However, the Bangladeshi bowlers staged a comeback in the later stages of the match. The Proteas' innings concluded at 136 runs, losing 8 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Notably, the Protea batters struggled against Swarna's brilliant bowling, as she claimed five wickets, conceding only 28 runs in 4 overs. Among the Proteas batters, only the openers, Anneke Bosk and Tazmin Britts, managed to offer resistance, with Bosk scoring the highest at 67 runs. Swarna Akhtar emerged as the leading wicket-taker among the Bangladeshi bowlers, while Nahida, Fahima, and Rabeya each secured one wicket.