Series: Asia Cup 2022
Venue: Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
Format: T20I
Toss: Pakistan
Result: Pakistan by 9 wickets
From the moment Diana Baig broke through in the first over to dismiss Sharmima Sultana, the Bangladeshi batting never really got going. A wicket in the second over by Sadia Iqbal to remove the dangerous Fargana Hoque, followed by another wicket to Baig in the third over sealed the deal. Bangladesh never recovered, leaving veteran Salma Khatun (24*) to try and make something of the innings.
Diana Baig was superb, bowling excellent lines and lengths, back to her very best, while the Pakistan fielding was energetic and efficient, the highlights being a superb catch on the boundary by Tuba Hassan and a direct hit runout by captain Bismah Maroof.
Chasing a mere 71 runs for victory might seem like a simple task, but the Pakistan top order batting this year has been brittle. The return of a rejuvenated Sidra Ameen to the top order has sorted that out and her array of shots, including a reverse sweep which is new to her repertoire, saw her score more than half the runs from her own bat, earning Player of the Match.
Pakistan now sit atop the table with two successive wins.
Scores:
Bangladesh 70/8 (Salma Khatun 24*, Diana Baig 2-11, Nida Dar 2-19) 20 overs
Pakistan 72/1 (Sidra Ameen 36*, Salma Khatun 1-27) 12.2 overs
Player of the Match: Sidra Ameen