Nahida feat keeps Tigresses' winning spree

Left-arm spinner Nahida Akhter returned figures of 5-12 in 3.4 overs as Bangladesh Women's team kept winning spree in Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Competition Qualifiers, crushing Kenya by 80 runs at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia today.

This was Bangladesh's second straight victory after securing an eight-wicket win against hosts Malaysia in the first game.

Nahida's incredible bowling figures that featured a maiden, is now the best bowling figures by any Bangladeshi woman in T20Is. She eclipsed Panna Ghosh, who held the record previously for her 5-16 against Ireland in 2016.

The match was also memorable for Bangladesh for the batting performance of Salma Khatun and Ritu Moni even though no one could set any individual record. Rather they together shared a 75-run partnership in an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand that not only gave the Tigresses a respectable total but also bailed them out of danger after being reduced to 50-6 in the ninth over.

Thanks to their effort, Bangladesh could put up 125-6 in the stipulated 20 overs, which was more than enough to secure their second victory in a row.

The unbeaten stand between Salma and Ritu is now the highest partnership in Women's T20Is for the seventh wicket. They went past Monica Pascal and Nasra Saidi of Tanzania Women, who held the previous record of 72-run stand against Uganda in 2019.

Salma scored an unbeaten 32-ball 33 while Ritu remained unbeaten on 39 off 34 deliveries, a knock that featured three boundaries.  

Put in to bat first, barring Murshida Khatun, no top-order batters of Bangladesh could show the expected resilience. Murshida scored 26 and saw the wickets tumbling around her with five top-order batters being dismissed for the single-digit figure.

However, Salma and Ritu finally set a tough target for Kenya, which they couldn't overhaul as they were bowled out for just 45 in 12.4 overs. Salma Khatun, Suriya Azminl Rumana Ahmed and Sanjida Akhter Meghla took one wicket apiece to complement the stellar bowling effort of Nahida.

Sharon Juma was the top scorer for Kenya with 24 and was the only one batter to reach double-digit figure.

Bangladesh later will take on Scotland and Sri Lanka for the lone remaining slot at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.

Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa are the seven teams to have already qualified for Birmingham.