Bangladesh Women’s Cricket team, now touring South Africa, will return to international cricket after around 14 months taking on South Africa women’s team in the first match of the five-match ODI series on Friday at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom with a sweet memory of a 90-run win against hosts North West Women’s team in the lone warm-up match.

The Tigresses played their last international cricket in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 207 in Colombo in February last year and displayed a good show to reach the Super Six stage of the meet, reports the UNB.

But, Bangladesh record against the Proteas was not good at all as they secured only two wins against South Africa in their 12 previous ODI meetings and managed only one win in their five T20s encounters.   

Apart from five ODIs, visiting Bangladesh women will play a three-match T201 series against their South African counterparts.

In the lone warm-up match on Wednesday, leg-break bowler Fahima Khatun ran through the hosts innings grabbing eight wickets for just five runs in her 10 overs spell, including

six maidens, to dismiss them cheaply for 180 runs replying to Bangladesh’s 270 for 2 featuring two centuries by skipper Rumana Ahmed (not out 139) and Fargana Haque (not out 102).  

Ahead of the series against Proteas, Bangladesh women’s ODI captain Rumana Ahmed said the overseas experience they will gain through this tour will help them in the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 in the West Indies and before that the qualification tournament for it in the Netherlands looming later this year.

The series marks the start of a busy period for them as they have the Asia Cup T20 in Malaysia in June, a 10-day tour of Ireland, and the Women’s World T20 Qualifier in the Netherlands.

Bangladesh squad: Rumana Ahmed (ODI captain), Salma Khatun (T20I skipper), Nigar Sultana, Fargana Hoque, Khadija-tul Kubra, Panna Ghosh, Fahima Khatun, Jannatul Ferdous, Sharmin Sultana, Nahida Akter, Suraiya Azmin, Sanjida Islam, Sharmeen Sultana, Sobhana Mostari, Murshida Khatun and Jahanara Alam.

South Africa ODI squad: Dané van Niekerk (captain), Lizelle Lee, Chloe Tryon, Mignon du Preez, Trisha Chetty, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Suné Luus, Laura Wolvaardt, Andrie Steyn and Zintle Mali.

South Africa T20 squad: Dané van Niekerk (captain), Lizelle Lee, Chloe Tryon, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Suné Luus, Laura Wolvaardt, Zintle Mali, Stacey Lackay, and Tazmin Brits.

Bangladesh women’s cricket team SA tour fixture

May 2:  Warm Up Match TBC vs Bangladesh XI Witrand Oval, Potchefstroom  

May 4: 1st ODI, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Senwes Park, Potchefstroom            

May 6:  2nd ODI, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Senwes Park, Potchefstroom

May 9: 3rd ODI, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Diamond Oval, Kimberley           

May 11: 4th ODI, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Diamond Oval, Kimberley           

May 14: 5th ODI, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein

Feb 17: 1st T20I, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Diamond Oval, Kimberley      

May-18: 2nd T20I, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein

May 20: 3rd T20I, South Africa vs Bangladesh, Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein          

May 21: Bangladesh Women’s Team depart South Africa for home