Rabeya and Murshida end Bangladesh's losing streak

Bangladesh ended their ten-match losing streak in T20Is and collected their first points in Women's Asia Cup 2024. They bounced back from the opening game defeat to Sri Lanka with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Thailand in Dambulla to keep their hopes for a semi-final spot alive.

Legspinner Rabeya Khan's four-wicket haul and seam-bowling allrounder Ritu Moni's two scalps helped Bangladesh restrict Thailand to a below-par 96 for 9 on a spin-friendly surface. Nattaya Boochatham top-scored for Thailand with a 41-ball 40. In reply, Murshida Khatun, after missing the previous game, scored 50 off 55 balls to take Bangladesh home in 17.3 overs.

Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, who had batted at No. 11 in her last two innings, was promoted to open with Boochatham. But the move backfired as Suwanchonrathi struggled to get going. She took 12 deliveries to get off the mark and eventually fell for a 20-ball 6 in the seventh over. Thailand could only post 25 for 0 in the powerplay.

Rabeya struck twice in her first over, the seventh of the innings, to remove Suwanchonrathi and Nannapat Koncharoenkai. Koncharoenkai, who had top-scored with 40 in the last match, fell for a duck this time. Bangladesh understood early in the game that Thailand found it difficult to score against full balls. Their spinners deceived the Malaysia batters with drift, turn and bounce.

At the halfway stage, Nigar Sultana threw the ball to Moni, and she struck immediately. She hit the hard length and got the ball to swing in to remove Phannita Maya to leave Thailand 38 for 3. In her next over, Moni bowled Chanida Sutthiruang with a slower ball, for a ten-ball 8.

Rabeya returned in the 14th over and castled Suwanan Khiaoto with a wrong'un. She did not let Boochatham take off either and cleaned her up in the 17th over.

Debutant left-arm spinner Sabikun Nahar Jesmin, after conceding 23 in her first three overs, scalped two off two deliveries in her final over to sink Thailand further.

Bangladesh's last T20I win before Monday came against South Africa in December 2023 when Murshida top-scored with an unbeaten 62. But in the next seven months, the team struggled with the bat, often collapsing around Sultana. In the last three series before this tournament, they used seven players in the top three, trying to find the winning combination.

Even on Monday, Bangladesh made three changes to their XI. One of them was Murshida and she made it count. She took ten deliveries to get off the mark but after that, she kept the scoreboard ticking. There was a mix-up between her and Dilara Akter in the fifth over, which resulted in the latter being run out. But Murshida kept Bangladesh on the right track. She hit eight fours in her innings and brought up her fourth T20I half-century. Along with Ishma Tanjim, she added 60 off 58 balls for the second wicket.

Bangladesh lost two wickets late in the game but, for a change, they didn't need Sultana to rescue them.