Bangladesh and Thailand will meet each other in the first semifinal of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022. The Bangladesh women’s team’s journey in the tournament so far has been commanding, winning all three fixtures of the group phase. On the other hand, Thailand had a couple of tough games in the group stage. Let’s take a look at the Bangladesh vs Thailand semi-final match preview.
Bangladesh Women vs Thailand Women: Semifinal Match Preview
The Bangladesh women's team has fared much better than Thailand in the ongoing Women’s Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier 2022. The Tigresses were dominant over their opponents in group A. They beat Ireland by 14 runs, Scotland by 6 wickets and the United States by 55 runs to finish top of their group with 6 points.
Thailand, on the other hand, started their campaign with an encouraging 7-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates. The match between Thailand and Papua New Guinea became a do-or-die affair after Thailand's women lost to Zimbabwe women by 6 wickets. Thailand eventually finished second in group B after beating Papua New Guinea by 12 runs in their third match.
The Bangladesh women’s team has won all four matches they have played against Thailand women in T20I. Therefore, Bangladesh side is expected to overcome Thailand in this semifinal contest.
Read: Bangladesh continue to shine in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022
Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s batting and bowling departments are much stronger than the rest of the participating teams in the 2022 ICC women’s T20 world cup qualifier. Skipper Nigar Sultana has been the most informed batter in Bangladesh. She has scored 157 runs in 3 innings with a 115.44 strike rate. Apart from her, Murshida Khatun also has more than 100 runs in three innings. These two informed batters will be crucial for the Tigresses in the semifinal match.
In bowling, Bangladesh’s spinners have proved too tough to handle as Salam Khatun, Nahida Akter, and Shohely Akter have been the most successful bowlers for the team. The spinners will once again be the major threat against Thailand in Friday’s knockout contest.
Probable Playing XI
Shamima Sultana (wicket-keeper), Murshida Khatun, Nigar Sultana (captain), Salma Khatun, Nahida Akter, Ritu Moni, Shohely Akhter, Lata Mondal, Sobhana Mostary, Rumana Ahmed, Sanjida Akter Meghla
Thailand
Thailand’s Nannapat Koncharoenkai has been the most informed batter for the team, with 96 runs in 3 innings. Chanida Sutthiruang has also played well for the Thai women’s side, scoring 62 runs in 3 innings. However, none of the batters have more than a 100-strike rate, which is very important for T20 format cricket.
In contrast, Thailand's bowling unit has performed much better than their batters. Nattaya Boochatham is currently the most successful bowler in the tournament with 7 wickets. Besides, Onnicha Kamchomphu has also picked up 4 wickets. These two need to take the extra burden in the match against Bangladesh.
Read: Women’s T20 WC Qualifiers: Bangladesh script 2nd successive win
Probable Playing XI
Nannapat Koncharoenkai (wicket-keeper), Natthakan Chantham, Nattaya Boochatham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Sornnarin Tippoch, Chanida Sutthiruang, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Rosenan Kanoh, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana
Thailand Women vs Bangladesh Women: Toss prediction and weather report
The Bangladesh vs Thailand match will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday, September 23. The first semifinal is set to begin at nine o'clock. The temperature will be around 37 degrees Celsius in Abu Dhabi on Friday. So, the players will have to deal with the UAE’s hottest weather conditions during the contest. The toss-winning captain may opt to bat first in order to give the opposition a big target.
Read: Women’s T20 WC Qualifiers: Bangladesh beat Ireland
Bottom Line
The winner of the Bangladesh vs Thailand first semifinal match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022 will qualify for the final. Besides, the winning team will also book their place in the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup tournament main event. Therefore, both teams will try to win the contest. However, Bangladesh's women’s team will enter this encounter as the favourites against Thailand's women.