Bangladesh defeated the United Arab Emirates by five wickets in their last Super Six game in Potchefstroom yesterday. However, this victory was not enough for Bangladesh to advance to the semi-finals. Instead, India and Australia advanced due to a superior run rate.
At the end of the Super Six stage, Bangladesh had ended with six points, along with hosts South Africa, Australia, and India. What set the teams apart was their net run rates.
India, with a net run rate of +2.844, and Australia (+2.210) took the top two spots to qualify for the semi-finals. Bangladesh, meanwhile, finished third in the group with a net run rate of +1.211 and South Africa (+0.387) finished fourth.
During the last Super Six game between Bangladesh and the UAE, the UAE won the toss and chose to bat, only to quickly lost two wickets in the first over. Aside from Lavanya Keny (29 from 46 balls) and Mahika Gaur (17 from 27 balls), no one on the team was able to go beyond double figures.
On Bangladesh’s side, Rabeya was the one to dismiss Keny and had two scalps in the final over of the innings to end her tournament with a fine spell of three for 14 in four overs.
In the end, Bangladesh restricted UAE to 69 for nine after 20 overs. Thanks to Shorna Akter striking two sixes and four boundaries, Bangladesh reached the target with five wickets and 10.5 overs to spare.
While their net run rate was significantly behind other teams in the tournament, Bangladesh was a formidable team in the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. They had won all three matches in the group stages, against Australia, Sri Lanka, and the United States, to qualify for the Super Six. At the end of the group stages, they were number 1 in Group A with 6 points and had a net run rate of +0.759
During the Super Six stages, they only had one loss, and it was against South Africa. They had lost by 5 wickets. While it was one loss, it was what proved to be their downfall in the end.
The semi-final matches are on January 27 and will have India playing against New Zealand while England faces Australia for the 2nd match of the day in Potchefstroom.
With the other semi-finalists, England was a powerful contender in the tournament. After their crushing win over West Indies, they finished on top of Group 2 ahead of New Zealand. Both England and New Zealand have 4 wins and 8 points. England took the top spot in Group 2 with a net run rate of +5.088, while New Zealand falls 2nd with a net run rate of +4.524.
Among the four semi-finalists, India and Australia had lost once in the Super Six Stage, while England and New Zealand have zero losses. Whoever wins the semi-final matches on January 27 is one step closer to being the first champion of the 2023 ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.