Sultana leads the way as Bangladesh draw level with Super-Over victory

A tense Super-Over victory at the Shere Bangla National Stadium kept Bangladesh alive in their three-match ODI series against Pakistan. Captain Nigar Sultana was Bangladesh's match-winner with the bat, scoring the game's only half-century before hitting the winning boundary in the Super Over.

Chasing eight to win the one-over eliminator, Bangladesh needed two off the last ball, with Sultana on strike for the first time after Sobhana Mostary had been stumped off Nashra Sandhu's bowling. Sultana stepped out and lofted Sandhu over mid-off for four, bringing the series scoreline to 1-1 with the third and final ODI to be played on Friday.

Having chosen to bat first, Bangladesh were in a solid position at 92 for 2 in the 32nd over, with Fargana Hoque having put on 49 for the third wicket with Sultana. Hoque's run-out dismissal, however, sparked a slump, with Bangladesh losing seven wickets while scoring just 77 runs off the last 18.1 overs of their innings. Sultana was ninth out, in the final over, having scored 54 off 104 balls. Left-arm spinners Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal were Pakistan's most successful bowlers with two wickets apiece.

Pakistan's chase got off to a strong start with Sadaf Shamas and Sidra Ameen putting on 41, but both openers fell in the 20s. It was a sign of things to come: in all, five Pakistan batters got into the 20s but none of them got to 30, as Bangladesh chipped away at the wickets, legspinner Rabeya Khan leading the way with 3 for 29.

In a match of small margins, Bangladesh batted through their 50 overs as well as all six balls of their Super Over, while Pakistan were bowled out in 49.5 overs and lost both their Super-Over wickets with one ball still remaining. The match went into a tiebreaker after Sandhu was run out while trying to take the winning single in the last over of normal play, bowled by Fahima Khatun.