Bangladesh's preparations for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup got off to a disappointing start as they suffered an emphatic eight-wicket defeat against hosts Scotland in the opening match of the ongoing tri-nation series at the Grange Cricket Club Ground in Edinburgh on Saturday.
After being asked to bat first, Bangladesh posted a modest 133 for five from their allotted 20 overs, a total Scotland chased down comfortably in just 15.4 overs to register their first-ever victory over Bangladesh in women's T20 internationals.
The Tigresses endured a shaky start with the bat, losing three top-order wickets inside the opening nine overs to slump to 46 for three. Captain Nigar Sultana Joty then attempted to rebuild the innings, sharing a 42-run partnership with Sobhana Mostary for the fourth wicket.
Sobhana contributed 22 off 22 deliveries before departing, while Joty continued to anchor the innings. The Bangladesh skipper later added another useful stand with Shorna Akter, who struck a brisk 22 from 15 balls.
Joty remained unbeaten on 46 off 39 deliveries, but Bangladesh struggled to accelerate in the closing stages and finished with a below-par total.
Scotland made a confident start to the chase through openers Darcey Carter and Katherine Fraser, who scored 23 and 28 respectively to lay a solid foundation.
Bangladesh briefly fought back by removing both openers, but Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce and sister Sarah Bryce extinguished any hopes of a comeback. The pair shared an unbroken 54-run partnership for the third wicket, guiding the hosts to 134 for two with 26 balls to spare.
Kathryn led from the front with an unbeaten 54 off just 32 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes, while Sarah remained not out on 23 from 15 deliveries.
For Bangladesh, Shorna Akter and Ritu Moni picked up one wicket each.
Despite the defeat, the match marked a significant milestone for leg-spinner Fahima Khatun, who became only the third Bangladesh woman cricketer after Nigar Sultana Joty and Nahida Akter to reach 100 WT20I appearances.
The victory was Scotland's second in a row in the tournament following their nine-wicket win over the Netherlands on Thursday.
Bangladesh will now look to bounce back quickly when they take on the Netherlands in their next fixture on Sunday at the same venue.
