Shorna Akter took 5-28 as Bangladesh claimed a 13-run victory over the Proteas in the first women’s T20I in Benoni on Sunday.

Murshida Khatun’s unbeaten 62 off 59 balls (six fours, one six) helped Bangladesh post 149-2. The hosts were then restricted to 136-8, with all-rounder Anneke Bosch making 67 off 49 balls (nine fours, one six).

The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first in scorching conditions at Willowmoore Park.

Shamima Sultana (24) and Khatun put on a solid partnership worth 44 runs before Nondumiso Shangase had Sultana caught at deep square-leg.

Khatun and Sobhana Mostary (16) helped Bangladesh add 39 more runs to the score despite disciplined bowling from South Africa, before a special moment for debutant Eliz-Mari Marx, who claimed her maiden scalp to see the back of Mostary and leave Bangladesh 83-2 after 13 overs.

Tigresses skipper Nigar Sultana Joty and Khatun then put on an undefeated 66-run stand for the third wicket, with Khatun reaching her third career fifty while Joty added a quick-fire 34* off 21 balls, including six fours.

The Proteas made a good start to the run chase as openers Brits (30) and Bosch propelled them to 54-0 after six overs.

Rebaya Khan and Fahima Khatun then struck two crucial blows to remove Brits and Annerie Dercksen (one).

In her first outing as stand-in captain, Brits became the fastest South African women to reach 1,000 T20I runs for her country, in just 41 innings.

With the score on 72-2 at the start of the 12th over, and the Proteas still needing 78 runs from 54 balls for victory, former captain Suné Luus (18) combined well with Bosch to take the team past the 100-run mark as the latter raised her bat for a well-played half-century, her third in T20Is.

Player of the Match Shorna Akter then devastatingly entered the fray to turn the contest around in favour of the Tigresses. The leg-spinner picked up five wickets in relatively quick succession, including two overs with two wickets each, which saw the back of Luus, Bosch, Shangase (nought) as well as Mieke de Ridder (one) and Masabata Klaas (nought).

Nahida Akter added to South African’s woes with the wicket of Marx (one).

The second and third T20Is will take place in Kimberley, with the next encounter on Wednesday (6pm).

Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images