A thrilling ODI series came to a fitting end as Bangladesh clinched the women’s ODI series 2-1 on Friday with a seven-wicket win in the penultimate of the three-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Bangladesh had begun the Pakistan ODI series with a batting collapse in the first ODI but following a Super Over win to level the series in the second ODI
Chasing 167 runs, Tigresses formed a record opening partnership with the right and left hand combination of Fargana Hoque and Murshida Khatun, who added 125 for the first wicket, setting Bangladesh on course to victory.
It took an unbeaten 84 from opener Sidra Ameen for Pakistan to crawl to 166 for 9 in their 50 overs. On a slow surface, Bangladesh employed only six overs of fast bowling from Marufa Akter, operating with spin for the rest of the overs to pin Pakistan down.
Ameen hit only three fours in her knock and finished with a strike rate of 58.74. She added 65 for the opening wicket with Sadaf Shamas (31 off 61 balls) but Pakistan failed to string partnerships in the middle order. While the opening part took 116 balls for their stand, the second-wicket stand between Ameen and Muneeba Ali was worth 28 off 70 balls.
From 93/1, Pakistan could never quite find the momentum and finished with a low total. All of the middle-order batters were out for single digits and only Diana Baig - batting at No. 9 and scoring 11 off 9 - scored at a strike rate in excess of 100. Nahida Akter once more was the tormenter-in-chief, finishing with 26/3 in ten overs.
Bangladesh's reply was a slow but steady one. Both Hoque and Murshida had strike rates in the fifties but they never let Pakistan in the game. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu then struck twice in two overs to dismiss the openers. However, captain Nigar Sultana once again exuded calmness and finished the chase off in the company of Sobhana Mostary.
