Pride at stake as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh hunt consolation win

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will look to bow out on a high when the two teams face off in their 2016 ACC Women's Asia Cup T20 encounter at the AIT Cricket Ground on the outskirts of Bangkok on Saturday (December 3).

The final international game of the tourney has already been rendered inconsequential with unbeaten India storming into the final on Friday. While Bangladesh stand eliminated irrespective of the result on Saturday, Sri Lanka though, mathematically speaking, will keep their final hopes alive if they inflict a big defeat on their opponents. But for that to translate into reality, Thailand will have to stun Pakistan in the final league game of 2016 edition.

Consequently, the game will be a chance for both teams involved to figure out the chinks in their armour and work on it as they head into an international break ahead of the 2017 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in February.

Into the new international season after their 2016 ICC World Twenty20 disappointment, Sri Lanka are yet to taste success against an international side. Their Asia Cup campaign began with a eight-wicket thumping against Pakistan, who are all but certain to beat them to the final spot. Later, India outclassed the Hasini Perera-led side by 52 runs to nearly knock them out of the finals race. In between, they have picked up two comprehensive victories, albeit against minnows Nepal and Thailand. Should they click as a unit together on the day, Sri Lanka will have little trouble in picking up a consolation win before exiting the championship.

Bangladesh, thereby, assume the tag of underdogs in the contest. The Rumana Ahmed-led side too failed to achieve anything noteworthy against either of India or Pakistan. And while they did humiliate Nepal by a whopping 92-run margin, a dramatic collapse against the hosts Thailand left them red-faced despite a narrow escape.

The two teams have locked horns only twice in the past with the last game coming two years ago at the 2014 World T20. Surprisingly, it is Bangladesh who have maintained a clean slate. In the 2012 edition of Asia Cup, Bangladesh defended a mediocre 62 by 5 runs in Guangzhou in China. In another thriller two years later at the World T20, the hosts edged out Shashikala Siriwardene's side by 3 runs to defend a modest 115.

Come Saturday, Sri Lanka would be itching to set that record straight.

Squads:

Sri Lanka: Hasini Perera (Captain), Prasadani Weerakkody, Chamari Atapattu, Sripali Weerakkody, Sugandika Kumari, Dilani Manodara, Nilakshi de Silva, Nipuni Hansika, Inoka Ranaweera, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Eshani Lokusuriyage, Yasoda Mendis, Hansima Karunaratne, Ama Kanchana, Udeshika Prabodhani.

Bangladesh: Jahanara Alam, Rumana Ahmed (Captain), Panna Ghosh, Nahida Akter, Nigar Sultana, Suraiya Azmin, Fargana Hoque, Sanjida Islam, Khadija Tul Kubra, Salma Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Ritu Moni, Shaila Sharmin, Ayasha Rahman, Sharmin Sultana.