Women’s Asia Cup 2024, BAN-W vs MAL-W 11th Match, Group B Match Report, July 24, 2024

Still, Bangladesh could score only 25 in the first four overs. On the first ball of the fifth, Aina Najwa dropped Murshida when the batter was on 13 off 15 balls. Adding insult to injury, Dilara smashed the last three balls of the over for 6, 4 and 4. Murshida got into the act with a boundary off Ainna Hamizah Hashim in the next over as Bangladesh finished the powerplay on 51 for no loss.

The 65-run opening stand, in 7.4 overs, finally came to an end when Dilara hit Mahirah Izzati Ismail towards square leg where Aisya Eleesa dived forward to take an excellent catch in a rare show of brilliance by a Malaysia fielder. Dilara made 33 off just 20 balls.

Murshida, Nigar fifties power Bangladesh

Murshida was on 28 off 26 balls at that point. But after Dilara fell, she picked up the pace. With back-to-back boundaries off Ismail, she moved to 53 off 45 balls – her second half-century in as many games. With a slog-swept six off Elsa Hunter in the 17th over, she took Bangladesh past 150.

Murshida and Nigar added 89 off 56 balls for the second wicket before Murshida fell to Hunter with substitute fielder Dhanusri Muhunan taking a sharp catch at extra cover.

But Muhunan’s effort was an aberration. Malaysia dropped two more catches after that: in the penultimate over, Najwa put down Rumana Ahmed at square leg and in the 20th, Nur Aishah did the same for Nigar at deep midwicket. Nigar brought up her fifty, off 34 balls, immediately after that and wrapped up the innings with a six off the final ball.

Hunter the only bright spot for Malaysia

Malaysia did not lose another wicket till the tenth over but the scoring rate remained around four. It dipped even further in the second half of the innings. Apart from Hunter, Ismail, with 15 off 25 balls, was the only one to reach the double digits.

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo