Bangladesh concede series

Bangladesh Women’s National Cricket Team conceded their three-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka as they lost the third and final match by 44 runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Friday.

Bangladesh won the first match of the series to take lead, which was their first win against the Lankans in nine years, but could not continue the winning spree to bag the series as they suffered back-to-back losses.

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first, and the hosts put a total of 158-3 depending on Nilakshi de Silva’s ramping 63 off just 39 balls.

Sri Lanka were put under pressure as Rabeya Khan brought the breakthrough to send Vishmi Gunaratne back to pavilion in the fourth over before Nahida Akter and Fahima Khatun struck twice in the next couple of overs and the hosts were down to 56-3 by the 10th over.

Nilakshi and Harshitha Samarawickrama then took over and they were back in the front foot as both the batters completed their half-centuries.

In Jahanara Alam’s final over, the duo scored 24 runs. Harshita took a single in the first ball to give the strike to Nilakshi, who struck back-to-back over boundaries followed by a boundary. She hit the fifth for another over boundary.

Harshita was unbeaten for 51, while skipper Chamari Athapaththu scored 32.

Chasing the Lankans’ 158, Bangladesh’s innings ended on 114-7 and felt 44 runs too short. Skipper Nigar Sultana top scored with 31 while Sobhana Nustary scored 30. No other batter could play a mentionable innings.

For Sri Lanka, Ubeshika Prabodhani, Kawya Kivindi, and Inoka Ranaweera took two wickets each, Sugnadhika Kumari took the other.