Tigresses suffer 2nd defeat in T20 tri-series against Dutch

Bangladesh Women's team's preparations for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup suffered another setback as they went down by 8 runs to the Netherlands in their second match of the tri-nation series in Edinburgh on Sunday.

The defeat followed Bangladesh's eight-wicket loss to hosts Scotland in the tournament opener, leaving captain Nigar Sultana Joty and her side still searching for their first victory of the series.

The victory was the Netherlands women's first over Bangladesh, having lost all three previous meetings between the two sides. After being asked to bat, the Netherlands posted a competitive 162-5 in their 20 overs allocation, thanks largely to a half-century from opener Heather Siegers. She struck 43 ball-52 and laid a solid foundation with a 52-run opening stand alongside Phebe Molkenboer, who contributed 29 from 24 balls.

Batting at No. 3, Sterre Kalis added 28 off 27 to keep the scoring rate healthy. For Bangladesh, left-arm pacer Fariha Islam was the most successful bowler, returning figures of 2-28. Bangladesh's chase got off to a disastrous start as they slumped to 13-2 and later found themselves in deeper trouble with four wickets down early in the innings. 

Captain Nigar Sultana Joty mounted a lone resistance, producing a fighting knock of 77 from 51 balls, laced with seven fours and a six. However, she received little support from the rest of the batting order as Bangladesh struggled to build any substantial partnerships.

Opener Juairia Ferdous was the only other batter to cross the 20-run mark, scoring 22. Despite Joty's efforts, Bangladesh finished on 154-8, falling eight runs short of the target. Heather Siegers capped an impressive all-round performance by claiming 3-39 with her medium pace to play a key role in the Dutch victory.

Bangladesh will have an opportunity to bounce back when they face Scotland again today (Tuesday) in their third match of the tri-series.    �"BSS