The Bangladesh women’s cricket team came agonisingly close to clinching their maiden T20I series but a dicey 53 by Susan Benade helped South Africa level the three-match series as they won the second T20I by 6 wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. The Proteas, who were set a target of 106, needed nine runs off the last over. With nine needed off the last over Benade hit a boundary through deep square leg and followed that up with a couple of scrappy twos to tie the scores with one ball left. A gentle push towards cover off the last ball gave the visitors their fourth T20 victory.
It was a difficult day for Bangladesh on the field as they failed to make the most out of the chances that were presented to them. Nuzhat Tasnim, the Bangladeshi keeper, missed three stumping chances, one of which included the prize scalp of Susan Benade in the last over. Benade was also given another life when she was dropped at square leg in the tenth over.
Bangladesh’s opening bowler Jahanara Alam bowled a good line and length and got both the openers out early in the innings. The South African chase, however, gathered momentum after the fall of the second wicket as Allison Hodgkinson and Benade shared a 73-run partnership. A diving effort by Lata Mondol at mid-off broke the partnership in the 18th over. The hosts were back in the game after Mignon Du Preez, the opposing captain, was caught at long on in the 19th over. However, fielding lapses and some good hitting at the end ensured a South African victory.
Earlier, the home side were looking forward to a series win as they were put in to bat by the visitors. Captain Salma Khatun played the role of the lone warrior with a run-a-ball 42 that included five boundaries. Khatun, however, couldn’t get much support from the other end as the Tigresses stumbled across the 100-mark barrier at the fag end of the innings. It was a below-par score considering the fact that the home side were cruising along at 65 for 3 at the end of the first ten overs.
“We had a good start today, but unfortunately we didn’t bat well at the end of the innings. We had a mixed day on the field today. Lata took a brilliant catch but we also missed a number of opportunities,” said Khatun. Echoing the captain’s views, coach Oshadee Weerasinghe said,” The problem lies in the fielding. I hope we can score a big total in the final game in order to avoid pressure.”
Benade, who played a key role behind the victory, admitted that she played a dangerous innings. “I am an aggressive player and there will be times when I might just throw my wicket. But thankfully, things worked out for me today,” she said.
The third and final T20I will take place on Friday at the same venue and will be broadcast live on ATN Bangla.
SCORES IN BRIEF
BANGLADESH: 105-6 in 20 overs (Salma 42, Lata 10; Van Niekerk 2-16, Kapp 1-12, Shabnim 1-18)
SOUTH AFRICA: 106-4 in 20 overs (Benade 53 not out, Hodgkinson 37; Jahanara 3-16, Kobra 1-15)
Result: South Africa won by 4 wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Susan Benade.
-With The Daily Star input
