Rumana holds nerve as Bangladesh stun Pakistan in Women's World Cup Qualifier

Having come out of a 21-month-long hiatus in international cricket only earlier this month, Bangladesh pulled off an upset over Pakistan on the opening day of the Women's ODI World Cup Qualifier as allrounder Rumana Ahmed closed out a tight chase of 202 in Harare with an unbeaten 44-ball 50.

Bangladesh's final-over victory hardly appeared on the horizon when they were 98 for 4, with 104 still needed off 89 balls. Rumana was on 1 off 9 at the time, and Bangladesh had just lost the set Fargana Hoque for a 90-ball 45. Then the required rate climbed to 8.9 with 10 overs to go.

But in Ritu Moni's company, Rumana unleashed a counterattack, the pair adding 61 off 59 balls. Moni hammered three back-to-back fours off Fatima Sana in the 45th over before being dismissed for a 37-ball 33.

Omaima Sohail struck twice in the 46th over, leaving Bangladesh needing 41 off the last 24 balls. Then Rumana took control, carting three consecutive fours off Sohail in the 48th. With former captain Salma Khatun also chipping in with an unbeaten 18 off 13, Bangladesh got home with two balls to spare.

Earlier, two wickets apiece from Moni and Nahida Akter and Khatun's run-out of opener Ayesha Zafar left Pakistan struggling at 49 for 5 after being sent in. Had it not been for the big-hitting allrounder Nida Dar's 111-ball 87 at No. 6 and No. 7 Aliya Riaz's unbeaten 82-ball 61, Pakistan might have finished well below their final score of 201 for 7. The duo's 136-run stand was the third-highest in Women's ODIs for the sixth wicket.

Thailand Women's upward rise continued as they completed an eight-run win over hosts Zimbabwe, in the second Group B fixture of the day*.

Save for opener Nattaya Boochatham, all of Thailand's top six made 30 or more. The other opener, Natthakan Chantham, was aggressive in her approach, hitting seven fours in her 59-ball 48. With Sornnarin Tippoch, who made 40 off 76, Chantham added 94 for the second wicket, taking Thailand past 100.

After the Chantham-Tippoch partnership ended, thanks to Loreen Tshuma who accounted for both batters, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Naruemol Chaiwai and Chanida Sutthiruang made useful contributions to help steer them to 247 for 6 in 50.

In response, Zimbabwe, who had debuted in ODIs last month, made a slow start, with openers Modester Mupachikwa and Sharne Mayers putting on 49 runs in 16.5 overs. No. 3 Josephine Nkomo strung a 59-run second-wicket stand with Mayers (47 off 80) before Suleeporn Laomi cut short Mayers' stay.

Nkomo's 66-ball 56 kept Zimbabwe on track, as did captain Mary-Anne Musonda's unbeaten 65-ball 69, but after the pair 73-run third-wicket stand, Zimbabwe stuttered and fell eight short of the target as Thailand made a strong push towards securing a Super Six berth.