Bangladesh Women's Cricket Team would have qualified directly for the World Cup if they had won either of their final two matches against Pakistan or the West Indies. However, despite failing to win either of those two matches, Nigar Sultana's team secured a place in the World Cup.
The Tigresses suffered a 7-wicket defeat to Pakistan in their last match on Saturday (April 19th). Following this loss, their hopes hinged on the outcome of the Thailand-West Indies clash. For Bangladesh to qualify, the West Indies needed to fail to achieve a specific equation in their match.
The equation facing the West Indies was a daunting one. To qualify directly, they needed to chase down Thailand's target of 167 runs within 10 overs and 1 ball in their final match. This could have extended to 11 overs if they tied the score and then hit a six off the final ball.
In an almost impossible chase, the West Indies won within 10 overs and 5 balls, securing victory with a six. However, this six needed to be hit after a tied score. Due to this fine margin, despite a herculean run chase, Hayley Matthews' team could not qualify for the World Cup.
The West Indies Women's team won their final match in Lahore by 6 wickets, powered by destructive batting from captain Matthews and Chinelle Henry. Matthews smashed 70 runs off 29 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes, while Henry scored 48 off just 17 balls with 3 fours and 5 sixes. Despite their powerful efforts, the West Indies fell just short on net run rate, thus missing out on a World Cup spot, allowing Bangladesh to qualify.
