Proteas women restrict Bangladesh to 106/3 in T20 WC

A decent showing from the Proteas women bowling department helped them restrict the Bangladesh women to 106/3 batting first in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup clash At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

It is not a daunting target, but the Proteas will be slightly disappointed that they didn't pick up more wickets. Although they did stem the the flow of runs, they won’t be happy with the fact that they leaked 11 wides.

Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat, but it was the perfect start to the match for the Proteas as star allrounder Marizanne Kapp had opener Dilara Akter out for a second-ball duck, with her getting an edge to keeper Sinalo Jafta.

Some tight bowling from Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka kept Bangladesh very quiet over the rest of the powerplay as they finished their first six overs on 21/1.

Opener Shathi Rani (19) had struggled particularly, only scoring seven off her first 25 balls, but she was then dropped by Khaka off the bowling of Nadine de Klerk, which allowed her to hit a boundary and slog a six over wide long on off Annerie Dercksen in the eighth over.

But Dercksen got her revenge a few balls later having Rani well caught by Anneke Bosch running in off the boundary, as they slipped to 36/2 before reaching the halfway mark on 43/2.

Sobhana Mostary (38) and Nigar Sultana (32*) struggled to score at a decent rate, but managed to combine for a 45-run stand off 55 balls as they tried to give themselves a platform to fire from.

At the start of the 18th over Mostary came down the wicket at spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, missed and was bowled leaving them on 81/3.

Some good running between the wickets and a couple of boundaries off the bat of Sultana then gave Bangladesh a slight boost at the end of their innings as 23 came off the last two overs to get them over the hundred run mark.

BANGLADESH: Shathi Rani, Dilara Akter, Sobhana Mostary, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Shorna Akter, Murshida Khatun, Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, Marufa Akter

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka