Bangladesh women’s cricket team clinch bronze medal in Asian Games

An all-round performance by Shorna Akhter helped the Bangladesh women's cricket team to clinch the country's first medal, a bronze, in the ongoing 19th Asian Games Cricket in Hangzhou on Monday.

Two-time Asian Games silver medalists Bangladesh women's cricket team won their games first medal beating Pakistan by five wickets in a 3rd place deciding play-off match at the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket ground in Hangzhou Monday morning.

Shorna, the 16-year-old all-rounder from Jamalpur district, grabbed three wickets for 16 runs in four overs to restrict Pakistan to a low total of 64 for 9 in the stipulated 20 overs, reports UNB.

Later, she guided Bangladesh towards victory scoring the match- winner 65 runs for the loss of five wickets in 18.2 overs, contributing to the team's highest unbeaten 14 runs off 33 balls.

Sent into bat first in the match, the Pakistan women's team folded their innings for only 64 runs for 9 in the stipulated 20 overs with lower order Aliya Riaz (17), captain Nida Dar (14), Sadaf Shams (13) and Natalia Pervaiz (11) were the notable scorers reaching the double-digit.

Apart from Shorna's three-wicket haul, Sanjida Akter claimed two wickets for 11 runs in four overs while Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan and Nahida Akter took one Pakistani wicket each.

For Bangladesh, two openers Shamima Sultana and Shathi Rani made 27 runs in the first wicket stand scoring 13 runs each apart from Shorna Akter's 14 runs.

Nashra Sandhu captured three Bangladesh wickets giving 10 runs while Nida Dar and Sadia Iqbal shared one wicket each.

Earlier, Bangladesh reached the semifinal as they declared the winner against Hong Kong in a rain-marred quarter-final in Hangzhou last Friday as their ICC ranking is higher than that of Hong Kong.

But in the semifinal, Bangladesh lost to their giant neighbour India by eight wickets to join the bronze medal battle with Pakistan.