Bangladesh (Commonwealth) _ Bangladesh won their first Under-19 Asia Cup championship on Sunday, defeating the United Arab Emirates by 195 runs in the final of the 2023 edition in Dubai.
Batting first, the young Tigers posted 282-8 in 50 overs thanks to opener Ashiqur Rahman Shibli’s century and fifties from Chowdhury Md Rizwan and Ariful Islam. In response, the UAE hitters had little hope of chasing the target down as Bangladesh bowlers suffocated them and bowled them out for 87, securing the title.
Shibli was named Player of the Match for his century, as well as Player of the Tournament for his 378 runs throughout the tournament, which included a pair of tons and two fifties. Our strategy was to win this game. We came here to win, and we accomplished it, Shibli stated after the game.
Despite the UAE’s semi-final victory against Pakistan, Bangladesh entered the tie as favorites, and their performance underlined why.
Shibli virtually batted his way through Bangladesh’s innings, scoring 129 off 149 balls before being caught in the last over, hitting 12 fours and a six, putting together a 125-run partnership with Chowdhury Md Rizwan for the second wicket, and then adding another 86 runs with Ariful Islam for the following.
Both Rizwan and Ariful got fifties, with the former scoring 60 off 71 balls and the later scoring 50 off 39 balls, giving Bangladesh impetus to reach 282. Bangladesh gave UAE little opportunity in defending the score, as left-arm bowler Maruf Mridha dismissed both openers, Aryansh Sharma (9) and Akshat Rai (11), early, and Rohanat Doullah Borson dismissed Tanish Suri (6) during the first powerplay.
While Dhruv Parashar (25 not out) attempted to provide some resistance, he quickly ran out of partners as the Bangladesh bowlers did not allow any of the remaining seven batsmen to reach double digits. Maruf and Borson both got three wickets, while Iqbal Hossain Emon and Sheikh Paevez Jibon each took two, with the latter taking the last UAE wicket to secure Bangladesh’s first U-19 Asia Cup championship.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Women’s National Team’s purple patch in 2023 continued as they scripted their first-ever one-day international victory over South Africa on their home soil, defeating the Proteas by 119 runs in East London on Saturday, when the entire nation was celebrating national victory day.
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty dedicated the victory to the martyrs and liberation fighters of the 1971 Liberation War in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s sixth ODI victory away from home, and their third overall versus South Africa in the format, with both prior victories coming at home.
They also defeated the Proteas for the first time in South Africa earlier in the trip, winning the first of three Twenty20 internationals. Batting first, Bangladesh amassed 250-3, their highest-ever total in the format, thanks to Murshida Khatun’s 100-ball 91, while the hosts were bowled out for 131 in 36.3 overs.
Bangladesh’s top bowler was Nahida Akter, who took 3-33, while Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, and Sultana Khatun each got two wickets. The Proteas, who needed 251, suffered a devastating blow early on when they lost their openers, Laura Wolvaardt (5) and Tanzim Brits (4), for a combined total of 9-2 in 2.1 overs.
They made a strong recovery as Anneka Bosch (16) and Sune Lus (31) collaborated for 41 runs for the third wicket before Nahida bowled them both in four overs. Following those wickets, the home batsmen began to lose wickets at regular intervals, causing them to fall 119 runs short.
Earlier, Bangladesh got off to a flying start due to a 66-run partnership between openers Fargana Hoque and Shamima Sultana, before the latter was bowled for 35 by Delmi Tucker. Murshida then led the assault to put Bangladesh in a good position, helped by skipper Joty’s 38 and Shorna Akter’s unbeaten 27.
The second ODI between the two teams will be played on Wednesday at Potchefstroom.
