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Bowlers come to the party as Bangladesh end ten-year wait in Sultana’s 100th T20I
An unwanted 16-match, decade-long losing streak in T20 World Cups has come to an end in the form of a first tournament match win away from home for Bangladesh, in one they were meant to be hosting. Victory for Bangladesh in the first match of the women’s T20 World Cup 2024 was layered, and at times laboured, as they eventually bested Scotland by 16 runs.
It was a gritty affair in Sharjah, and a chastening experience for Scotland, making their first appearance in a World Cup. They managed just five of the 15 boundaries struck between both teams.
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana playing in her 100th T20I, was right to bat after winning the toss. The logic of having first use of a fresh Sharjah pitch, and using draining temperatures – a high of 38°C – to sap the energy of the team fielding first was sound.
The application, however, was far from smooth. They had to do a lot of running to post their total of 119 for 9, with Shathi Rani’s 29 and 36 from Sobhana Mostray – both career-bests in the format – the most noteworthy contributions.
Rani’s dismissal – the second wicket – was the first of six to fall in 49 deliveries for just 50 runs. Off-spinning allrounder Sasika Horley was the main beneficiary of this cascade, pocketing her best T20I figures of 3 for 13, having only been brought into the attack in the 18th over. But with Fahima Khatun’s 10 off 5 – the only batter to post a double-figure score at a strike rate greater than 100 – Bangladesh were at least able to ask Scotland to chase a run-a-ball score.
It did not take long for the run rate to escalate, compounded by the loss of Kathryn Bryce – bowled by an inducker from Marufa Afkter that kept low – to make it 31 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. Ritu Moni’s wily medium pacers kept Scotland in check, and she finished her four overs with 2 for 15, by which point Scotland required 38 from the final three overs.
Any hope of getting those rested on an exhausted Sarah Bryce. The keeper-batter should have been dismissed on 29, running past a delivery from Rabeya Khan and then somehow reclaiming her ground after Sultana had first missed the original take behind the stumps, and then botched the second attempt in front of them.
A further life came on 38 when her straight heave was dropped in the penultimate over by a diving Rabeya, who made amends three balls later to remove Katherine Fraser for Nahida Akter’s 100th T20I wicket. Aged 24 years and 215 days, the left-arm spinner is the second-youngest to reach the milestone, after England’s Sophie Ecclestone.
Sarah finished unbeaten on 49, though not before a third reprieve when dropped at cover. That she could only manage one boundary from her 52 deliveries spoke to a broader issue that left Scotland well short of their opponents.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh Women 119 for 7 in 20 overs (Sobhana Mostary 36, Shathi Rani 29; Saskia Horley 3-13, Kathryn Bryce 1-23, Olivia Bell 1-23, Kathryn Fraser 1-23) beat Scotland Women 103 for 7 in 20 overs (Sarah Bryce 49*, Ritu Moni 2-15, Marufa Akter 1-17, Nashida Akter 1-19, Fahima Khatun 1-21, Rabeya Khan 1-20, ) by 16 runs
[Cricinfo]
European leaders, including in France and Germany, have announced they are working on a plan in the event the United States follows through on its threat to take over Greenland as tensions soar.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Wednesday that while nations want to act if the US moves to seize Greenland from an ally, Denmark, they want to do so “together with our European partners”.
“I myself was on the phone with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday. He discarded the idea that what just happened in Venezuela could happen in Greenland,” Barrot said.
On Saturday, the United States – using fighter jets, attack helicopters, and special forces – abducted Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, bringing him to New York City to be tried for alleged drug trafficking.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to greenlight the abduction of Maduro led to widespread condemnation and fear that Greenland, which the president has previously said should be part of Washington’s security apparatus, could be forcibly taken.
But since then, European allies have rallied behind Greenland’s sovereignty, saying the country belongs to its people.
Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Finland’s parliament, called for the issue to be raised within NATO.
“[Allies should] address whether something needs to be done and whether the United States should be brought into line in the sense that it cannot disregard jointly agreed plans in order to pursue its own power ambitions,” he said.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, requested an urgent meeting with Rubio to discuss the situation.
“We would like to add some nuance to the conversation,” Rasmussen wrote in a social media post. “The shouting match must be replaced by a more sensible dialogue. Now.”
Denmark has warned that any move to take Greenland by force would mean “everything would stop”, including NATO and 80 years of close security links.
Greenland’s government will join a meeting between Rubio and Danish officials next week following renewed US claims on the Arctic island, its foreign minister said on Wednesday.
The European Union will support Greenland and Denmark when needed and will not accept violations of international law no matter where they occur, European Council President Antonio Costa said.
“On Greenland, allow me to be clear: Greenland belongs to its people. Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark or without Greenland,” Costa said in a speech.
“The European Union cannot accept violations of international law – whether in Cyprus, Latin America, Greenland, Ukraine, or Gaza. Europe will remain a firm and unwavering champion of international law and multilateralism.”
Greenland – the world’s largest island, with a population of 57,000 people – is located between Europe and North America. Since 2019, during Trump’s first term, the president has raised the idea of controlling Greenland, saying it would benifit US security.
So far, Trump has not ruled out using force to take the island.
Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that Trump’s intention is to buy Greenland. “That’s always been the president’s intent from the very beginning.”
House US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hasn’t heard talk of sending the military into Greenland and the US is “looking at diplomatic channels”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump and his national security team have “actively discussed” the option of buying Greenland.
“He views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region. And so that’s why his team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like,” Leavitt told reporters.
Neither Leavitt nor Rubio ruled out the use of force. But Leavitt said, “The president’s first option, always, has been diplomacy.”
[Aljazeera]
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]
Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.
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