Bangladesh national women’s cricket team lost by 29 runs in the first Twenty20 international of the much-hyped series against Pakistan at Karachi on Wednesday.
Bangladeshi women could make only 95-7 in their stipulated 20 overs in reply to the hosts’ 124-5 off 20 overs after they won the toss. The match took place at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium, formerly known as Defence Cricket Stadium amid top-level security.
Pakistani one down batter Bismah Maroof and opener Javeria Khan made a strong platform with 87-run second wicket partnership after another opener Marina Iqbal was dismissed for just one.
Visitors could never gain the ascendancy as Pakistan amassed enough runs on the board thanks to 65-run innings of Bismah who smashed five boundaries in her 57-ball innings.
Javeria scored 44 runs of 43 balls consisting of six boundaries.
In reply, Ayasha Rahman and Sharmin Akhter made a 19-run opening stand off just 17 balls for the visitors before the latter was dismissed for a duck.
Fargana Haque added 30 runs with Ayasha to take the score on 49 but the pair took 44 balls to fetch those runs that created a pressure on the asking run rate.
Ayasha was out for 23 and Fargana soon followed her with the same amount of runs when the score was 51-3 at 11.3 overs.
They played 27 and 36 balls respectively.
At that stage visitors’ asking rate climbed almost to nine.
Rumana Ahmed scored 22 off 23 balls to ease the pressure but none other could reach a double figure and ultimately they fell short of their target by a large margin.
Anam Amin of Pakistan picked 2-17 while Asmavia Iqbal, Sumaiya
Siddiqi, Sana Mir, Bismah Maroof, Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz picked one wicket apiece.
During Pakistan innings Nahida Akter of Bangladesh picked up 2-17 for Bangladesh and Jahanara Alam and Fahima Khatun grabbed one wicket each.
This is the first international match for a Bangladesh side in Pakistan since the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Karachi that halted all international cricket matches in Pakistan.
The second and final match of the series will be held at the same venue today.
PTV will telecast the match live that commences on 11am Bangladesh standard time.
-With New Age input