When Bangladesh’s lower-middle order at the Asian
Games in Hangzhou could have easily disintegrated similarly, Shorna Akter first
ran through Pakistan’s lower-middle order and then accomplished the necessary
feat with the bat.
A total of 129 runs were scored in the low-scoring
bronze-medal playoff, which lasted 38.2 overs and saw 14 wickets fall. That may
not have done much to pique the interest of those unfamiliar with the sport in
the Chinese city, but Bangladesh will accept it regardless of the colour of the
medal because of the outcome itself: in the final between the same two teams at
the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon (the last time cricket was included in the
Asian Games), Pakistan had triumphed by a margin of four runs (DLS method).
When Bangladesh decided to field after winning the
toss in this match, it was 6 for 2 after two overs and 18 for 4 after nine.
Marufa Akter, Nahida Akter, Sanjida Akter, and Rabeya Khan all shared wickets
during this period. In that phase, Sadaf Shamas was the only person to reach
double digits.
After that, there was a little comeback led by Natalia
Pervaiz (11), the captain Nida Dar (14), and Aliya Riaz (17), but Shorna struck
twice in the 15th over to dismiss Dar and Umm-e-Hani. She then eliminated Riaz
in the final over to finish with 3 for 16 total wickets. Pakistan only had 64
on the board.
That shouldn’t have been a problem for Bangladesh
because they got off to a good start with a 27-run partnership between Shamima
Sultana and Shathi Rani for the first wicket. However, they were bowled in
quick succession, leaving Bangladesh at 30 for 2, and by the 11th over, because
to Nashra Sandhu’s consistent striking, they were 43 for 4.
With a few more runs, Pakistan’s situation might have
been different. However, Bangladesh only needed to win the next ten balls,
which Shorna accomplished admirably by scoring 14 runs while remaining unbeaten
off 33 balls without hitting a four or a six.