Bangladesh Women begin Commonwealth Games Qualifiers with a thumping win over Malaysia

Bangladesh Women's team began their Women's T20 Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 with a huge win over Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday as they beat the hosts by an 8-wicket margin. 

Bowling first, Tigresses restricted Malaysia for a petty 49 for 9 runs after 20 overs. The hosts found it pretty difficult to score runs against a sharp aggressive bowling attack of Bangladesh from the word go. 

Veteran all-rounder Salma Khatun began the wicket fest as she picked up the wicket of Wan Julia in the fourth over when Malaysia were already struggling to score runs. Yusrina Yaakop soon departed and the hosts were reduced to 6 for 2 after 5 overs. 

Malaysia could never fight back from that position. Their top scorer Winifred Duraisingam bagged 12 runs but she played 31 balls at a strike rate of only 38.70. Mas Elysa was the other one to reach a double-digit mark, scoring 11 off 11 balls.

For Bangladesh, Suraiya Azmin and Rumana Ahmed picked up a brace each. Rumana gave away only 4 runs from her 4 overs while Suraiya conceded 7 from her 4 overs. Salma Khatun, Nahida Akhter and Ritu Moni picked up a wicket each. 

Chasing 50 runs was always going to be a walk in the park for Bangladesh. Murshida Khatun and Shamima Sultana built a 38-run opening partnership in 5 overs and that kind of sealed the match for the Tigresses. Shamima was the first to go for 28 before Murshida was dismissed for 14. Skipper Nigar Sultana Jyoti and Fargana Haque then guided the team home comfortably from thereon. 

Bangladesh still have four more matches to play and Sri Lanka will be their main rivals in the qualifiers. Only one among five teams - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Malaysia and Scotland - will qualify for the Women's T20 Commonwealth Games 2022. Whoever qualifies, will be seeded in Group B with England, New Zealand and South Africa while Group A consists of Australia, Barbados, India and Pakistan.

It will be cricket's first inclusion in the Commonwealth Games since a List A men's tournament was held at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The matches will be played under Twenty20 format and there will only be a women's tournament.