Cricket | Bangladesh women's team loses twice to U-15 boys side

Bangladesh women’s cricket team’s build-up to the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup has been dented by consecutive defeats against the country’s Under-15 boys in the Challenge Cup. The preparatory tournament, organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), featured three sides - Women’s Red, Women’s Green and the U-15 boys. While the women’s squads were expected to use the competition to sharpen their game before travelling to India and Sri Lanka, the boys dominated both fixtures. In the first match at BKSP-3, the U-15 side outclassed Women’s Red by 87 runs. Batting first, they posted 181 for 8 in 50 overs, led by Bayzid Bostami (46) and Afzal Hossain (44). In reply, Red folded for just 94 in 38 overs. Alimul Islam Adib starred with the ball, taking 3 for 12, while Afridi Tariq and Abdul Aziz claimed two wickets each. For the women, opener Sarmin Sultana top-scored with 20 as only four batters reached double figures. In the following game, the U-15 team defeated Women’s Green by 41 runs, completing back-to-back wins over their seniors. The setbacks come at a time when Bangladesh have gone five months without international cricket. Their last match was against Pakistan during the World Cup Qualifier on April 19. Since then, the squad has mainly undergone fitness training before assembling for intra-squad matches in Sylhet. Captain Nigar Sultana, who leads the Red side in the Challenge Cup, admitted more international exposure would have been ideal in the lead-up to the tournament.