Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty rues missed chances and the impact of heavy dew as her side fell just short against South Africa, despite a spirited all-round display in Colombo. After setting a competitive total of 232, Bangladesh looked on course for a famous win before South Africa held their nerve to seal victory by three wickets.
“We were brilliant with the bat,” reflecting on the team’s performance, Nigar praised her side’s intent and partnerships with the bat, a notable improvement from their previous matches. Nigar made 32 off 42 balls, anchoring Bangladesh’s innings alongside key partnerships through the middle overs.
“When a batter comes out to bat, she wants to contribute. In the last few matches, I wasn’t able to contribute to the team, so today I came with the mindset of supporting from my bit,” Nigar said after the game. “Ultimately, I guess playing for four or five more overs would have made the difference.”
When asked about Marufa Akter’s wicketless spell, Nigar defended her young pace bowler, citing the conditions as a major challenge. “Marufa is good with the new ball, but today unfortunately she didn’t find rhythm,” Nigar explained. “Dew was a factor – gripping the ball was tough. That’s why going to the spinners was a safe option for me. The ball was difficult to grip.”
Bangladesh appeared to have the match under control midway through the chase, but as conditions worsened, their grip on the game- quite literally, began to loosen. “The ball was difficult to grip in, dew was a lot,” Nigar said. “I tried my best to utilize bowlers who are best in death-over bowling, but our girls have bowled really well.”
Despite the frustration of the defeat, Nigar highlighted the fight shown by her young side. “We have a lot of young players in our team. We were still in the game, and the effort was great,” she said when asked about the missed chances and misfields on the field.
With crucial matches ahead, Nigar remains optimistic about Bangladesh’s chances in the rest of the tournament. “Consistency is the key. If we hold things like today, I think we can make a good comeback in the upcoming matches,” she said with conviction.
When asked how Bangladesh can challenge the world’s top-ranked teams, Nigar admitted that their batting remains a work in progress but pointed to steady improvements. “After our game against New Zealand, we were not able to make runs, but today we initially wanted to keep the runs and give our bowlers something that they can bowl to,” she explained.
“There are a few areas that we need to improve on, but we could have done better.”
Nigar also lauded young all-rounder Shorna Akter, whose composed knock helped Bangladesh reach a defendable total. “Earlier in the matches we used to lose so many wickets in the powerplay. Initially, it was our plan to not give any wicket away — we couldn’t capitalize, but when we have wickets in hand, we can go for big runs,” Nigar said.
“Shorna is a very capable player; she’s a power hitter and can rotate the strike very well. The way she batted was quite incredible and helped our side make a good total.”
Despite the heartbreak, Bangladesh’s captain emphasized the positives: partnerships, intent, and a growing belief within the squad.
“It was very difficult out there,” Nigar concluded, “but the effort was there, and we’ll take a lot of confidence into the next game.”
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