London, June 28 (IANS) Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana admitted her side fell just short in a must-win Women’s T20 World Cup fixture against South Africa on Sunday, saying an underwhelming middle phase with the bat ultimately proved decisive in ending their semi-final hopes.

Despite a spirited bowling display that stretched the contest to the penultimate over, Bangladesh were unable to defend 117, bowing out of the tournament after a four-wicket defeat.

Looking back at her team’s batting effort, Sultana pointed to the early setbacks and the inability to accelerate through the middle overs as the defining moments of the innings, even though Bangladesh recovered well towards the finish.

“I guess we lost wickets early in the power play, but the bowlers played really well there. They were hanging there and trying to build a partnership. And I think we couldn’t get runs in the middle part of the game. We finished it really well in the last few overs of the first innings. But end of the time, I think we are short of 10 to 15 runs, and it actually cost us the campaign as a whole,” Nigar said post match.

Although Bangladesh finished on the losing side, their bowlers refused to let South Africa cruise to victory. Regular breakthroughs, disciplined spells and committed fielding kept the pressure firmly on the Proteas until the final over, something that left the skipper immensely satisfied despite the outcome.

“I think I should thank all my bowlers and fielders because how they fought till the last ball, and they were keep fighting for the last run. So it really made me feel very proud about the team,” she noted.

The defeat brought Bangladesh’s World Cup journey to an end, but Sultana chose to focus on the progress her side had made during the campaign. While acknowledging that the team had travelled to the tournament with higher ambitions, she highlighted the significance of securing two victories and praised the collective commitment shown throughout the competition.

“And we came here to win games definitely. And we win two games here, but we wanted more. I think it’s a huge achievement for the team. And I’m really proud the way each and everyone gave their 100% in the field and tried to win for Bangladesh,” she concluded.

–IANS

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