Tigresses leave Asian Games without a medal

Bangladesh's women cricketers will leave the Asian Games without a medal after Pakistan beat them by 31 runs in the bronze-medal match in Nisshin, Japan, on Tuesday.

Pakistan posted 145 for eight after recovering from a difficult position, and Bangladesh could manage only 114 for seven in reply. The result denied the Tigresses a place on the podium after they had won bronze at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Bangladesh's bowlers had initially put Pakistan under serious pressure. After reaching 46 without a wicket, Pakistan slipped to 67 for five, giving Bangladesh an opportunity to restrict them to a modest total.

 Captain Fatima Sana, however, changed the course of the innings with an attacking 45 from 30 balls. Her partnership with Aliya Riaz, who made 25, helped Pakistan recover and add valuable runs in the closing overs.

Bangladesh's chase never properly settled. Three wickets fell for only 20 runs before Nigar Sultana and Sharmin Akter attempted to rebuild the innings. They added 47 for the fourth wicket, but the required run rate continued to rise.

Nigar was dismissed for 25, while Sharmin remained unbeaten on 46. Pakistan's Umm-e-Hani then completed an excellent spell of three for 10 to keep Bangladesh away from the target.

The defeat completed an unusual campaign for Bangladesh. Their quarterfinal against China was abandoned without a ball being bowled, allowing them to progress on their superior ranking. India then ended their semifinal hopes before Pakistan finished the job in the bronze-medal match.

For Bangladesh, the Asian Games therefore end without the medal they had hoped to defend.

Pakistan, meanwhile, returned to the podium in women's cricket for the first time since winning gold in 2014.