Bangladesh women鈥檚 national team thrashed Malaysia by 114 runs in their third and final group stage game in Dambulla on Wednesday to confirm their place in the last four of the ongoing Asia Cup 2024 in Sri Lanka.
They will face India in the first semi-final on Friday as they finished second in the group behind hosts Sri Lanka.
Batting first, Bangladesh posted 191-2, their highest-ever total in the tournament, courtesy of opener Murshida Khatun 鈥� following up on her fifty against Thailand 鈥� scoring 80 off 59 balls, along with skipper Nigar Sultana Joty鈥檚 unbeaten 37-ball 62.
In reply, Malaysia managed to see of their 20 overs but could only manage 77-8 as Elsa Hunter was the top-scorer with 20.
For Bangladesh, Nahida Akter picked up two wickets, while Rabeya Khan, Jahanara Alam, Ritu Moni, Sabikun Nahar Jesmin, and Shorna Akter picked up a wicket each.
After the game, Joty was pretty content with how the game panned out.
鈥楢 win always feel good. The way we batted was wonderful. Consistency by the batters has been pleasing. Murshida has done well,鈥� said the Bangladesh skipper.
鈥榃e鈥檙e looking forward to play good cricket, execute game plans. I have belief in my team, and I know how capable they are.鈥�
After opting to bat first, Bangladesh had a brilliant start as openers Dilara Akter and Murshida added 51 runs in the powerplay.
Their partnership ended in eighth over when Dilara fell for 33 off 20 balls to Mahirah Izzati Ismail, which made the Malaysian bowler their highest-ever wicket-taker with 51 scalps.
From there, Murshida and Joty added 89 runs for the second wicket off just 56 balls, with the former reaching her second fifty on the trot off 45 balls.
Her innings, before ending on the final ball of the 17th over, included 10 fours and a six.
Joty, though, kept going, reaching her fifty off 34 balls, and then hit her second six to become the first Bangladesh batter to hit 15 sixes in women鈥檚 T20Is, breaking the previous record of 14 by Ayasha Rahman.
Her unbeaten knock 鈥� which included five fours and two sixes 鈥� took Bangladesh to 191-2.
Defending the total, Bangladesh broke through in the first over as Jahanara 鈥� who came into the XI replacing Marufa Akter 鈥� got Ainna Hamizah Hashim for a second-ball duck.
From there on, Malaysia just looked to see out their full quota of overs as the three batters who reached double figures 鈥� Wan Julia [11], Hunter, and Mahirah Izzati Ismail [15] 鈥� batted with low strike rates.
