Bangladesh suffered a agonizing defeat against South Africa in their Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage fixture at Lord’s, losing a low-scoring thriller in the final over. With the Proteas requiring five runs from the final six balls, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty entrusted the ball to her premier seamer, Marufa Akter. Defending such a low target was always going to be an uphill battle, but Marufa’s pedigree offered a glimmer of hope. However, South Africa’s Chloe Tryon struck a boundary off the very first delivery of the over before stealing a single to seal a hard-fought victory.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat on a balanced Lord’s wicket. Their innings got off to a disastrous start when opener Dilara Akter fell to a magnificent yorker from Marizanne Kapp on the very first ball of the match. The top-order struggled to establish any early momentum, as fellow opener Taj Nehar also departed cheaply, managing just a single run before being dismissed.
A sluggish rebuilding phase followed as Sobhana Mostary and Sharmin Akter attempted to stabilise the innings. Whilst the duo managed to prevent a total collapse, their lack of boundaries kept the run rate heavily restricted. Sharmin fell for a 29-ball 22, whilst Mostary top-scored with a laborious 42 off 48 deliveries. It took a late, aggressive cameo from skipper Joty to inject some urgency into the proceedings. Her brisk 32 off just 20 balls provided Bangladesh with a defendable total of 117 for five at the end of their allocated 20 overs.
The Bangladeshi bowling unit responded fiercely at the start of the chase. Marufa Akter produced a spectacular delivery on the first ball of the South African innings to clean-bowl dangerous opener Laura Wolvaardt. Despite the early breakthrough, the Proteas found reliable anchors in Tazmin Brits and Annerie Dercksen. Brits laboured to a 24-ball 20, whilst Dercksen played a crucial, steadying knock of 45 from 45 deliveries.
Bangladesh continued to fight back with regular breakthroughs, led by spinner Nahida Akter, who finished with figures of two for 24. Ritu Moni, Marufa, and Sanjida Akter Meghla each claimed a wicket to pile pressure on the chasing side. Ultimately, the experience of Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon shone through in the closing stages. De Klerk contributed a vital 15 off 14 balls, leaving Tryon to hit the winning runs with four balls to spare, breaking Bangladeshi hearts in a dramatic finish.