Bangladesh women’s team lost their virtual final of the Commonwealth Games Women’s Cricket Competition Qualifiers against Sri Lanka by 22 runs at the Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
With the defeat, Bangladesh finished second in the five-team qualification competition behind Sri Lanka and missed their chance of securing a place in the next Commonwealth Games which will take place in Birmingham, England in July-August.
Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu led the charge with a brilliant 48 off 28 balls to help her team post 136-6 in 20 overs.
In reply, opener Murshida Khatun hit a run-a-ball 36 while Fargana Hoque made 33 off 39 balls but Nigar Sultana’s side could only muster up 114-5 in their 20 overs.
Athapaththu was also instrumental with the ball in hand for the island nation, as she took 3-17 in her four overs.
Batting first, Athapaththu’s exemplary knock, which had six fours and three sixes, set the stage while Nilakshi de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani chipped in with a handy 28 and 20 not out respectively to take Sri Lanka to a decent total.
Bangladesh’s reply was on track till the 11th over, with 68-1 on the board and the well-set duo of Murshida and Fargana at the middle.
But Athapathu broke the 50-run stand in the following over by removing Murshida and later also dismissed Nigar for 20 off 21 balls in the 16th over.
The Bangladesh innings never recovered from those losses.
Sri Lanka are officially confirmed as the eighth team in the Birmingham Games Women’s Cricket event, joining Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa, who have already qualified for the Games.
