Nigar Sultana Joty, the long-time captain of the Bangladesh women's cricket team, has been a key figure in their batting lineup as a wicketkeeper-batter.
However, one dream that had eluded her was scoring a century in her favorite format, ODIs. That dream was finally realized as she scored her maiden century against Thailand.
On Thursday, April 10, Bangladesh faced Thailand in the first match of the Women's ODI World Cup Qualifiers. After winning the toss, Thailand invited Bangladesh to bat, and Joty delivered an exceptional performance. Not only did she score her first century, but she also guided her team to a record-breaking total of 272 runs, remaining unbeaten at the end.
Bangladesh's innings started on a rocky note. Opener Ishma Tanzim was dismissed for just 8 runs off 13 balls. However, Farzana Haque, alongside Sharmin Akhter, began to build a solid partnership.
Both players helped Bangladesh pass the 100-run mark, with Farzana reaching her fifty off 75 balls. Unfortunately, she couldn't stay longer and was dismissed for 53 runs off 82 balls.
In the fourth-wicket partnership, Sharmin was joined by Nigar Sultana Joty. Sharmin reached her fifty off 75 balls, while Joty followed soon after, bringing up her fifty off just 45 balls. While Sharmin played a more cautious role, Joty continued to score freely, pushing Bangladesh towards a substantial total.
The duo was nearing their centuries, and Joty brought up her first ODI century off 78 balls with a boundary. Sharmin, however, fell short, being dismissed for 94 runs off 126 balls. Thanks to Joty's 101* off 80 balls and Sharmin's 94, Bangladesh posted a massive 271 runs for the loss of just two wickets, setting a new record for the highest total in the history of Bangladesh's women's ODIs.
