The Bangladeshi community in Oldham turned out in force at Old Trafford on Thursday to support the Bangladesh women's cricket team as they took on tournament favourites India in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
The tournament, hosted by England and Wales, has already attracted more than 125,000 spectators, highlighting the growing popularity of women's cricket. Twelve nations are competing for the title, with Bangladesh making an impressive start by defeating the Netherlands and Pakistan before suffering a hard-fought defeat to India.
Bangladesh produced a spirited performance but ultimately went down by five wickets in their Group A encounter.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh recovered well from an uncertain start. Opener Juairiya Ferdous made the most of three dropped chances to score a determined 33 from 31 balls, while captain Nigar Sultana led from the front with a composed 32. Sobhana Mostary added 22 as Bangladesh built useful partnerships throughout the innings.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals and missing the opportunity to accelerate in the closing overs, Bangladesh posted a competitive total of 136 for eight.
India's bowling attack was spearheaded by Radha Yadav, who claimed three wickets for 28 runs after recovering from an earlier dropped catch. Sree Charani also picked up two wickets in the final over to restrict Bangladesh's late charge.
In reply, India almost lost an early wicket before opener Shafali Verma took control of the chase. After being dropped in the opening over, Verma capitalised on the opportunity with a superb 53 from just 34 deliveries, striking eight boundaries to put India in a commanding position.
Bangladesh, however, refused to give in. Their bowlers fought back brilliantly, tightening the scoring rate and taking crucial wickets during the middle overs. Ritu Moni removed both Yastika Bhatia and Richa Ghosh, while Nahida Akter dismissed the dangerous Verma. Bangladesh's disciplined bowling kept India under pressure and raised hopes of an unlikely victory.
With India still needing 39 runs from the final 46 balls, Bangladesh sensed an opportunity. However, Jemimah Rodrigues steadied the innings with a composed 26 before captain Harmanpreet Kaur guided India home with an unbeaten 13. India reached 139 for five in 16.5 overs to secure victory with 19 balls remaining.
Although Bangladesh were unable to secure the win, their disciplined bowling, determined batting and fighting spirit against one of the tournament favourites won widespread admiration from the crowd.
The match also highlighted the passion of the Bangladeshi diaspora in Greater Manchester. Supporters travelled from Oldham and surrounding areas to cheer on the Tigresses, creating a vibrant atmosphere inside Old Trafford.
Among them was Idris Ali BEM, administrator of a Facebook community group with more than 21,000 members.
He said: "I love sports and never miss England matches. Apart from England, Bangladesh is the team I enjoy watching the most, especially in cricket. Today was no exception. The Tigresses were playing against India and Old Trafford is only about half an hour from Oldham, so how could I miss it? I thoroughly enjoyed every moment."
Another passionate cricket supporter, Saleh Sumon, attended the match with a group of friends. Besides cheering for Bangladesh, they discussed how cricket could be promoted among the younger generation within the community, encouraging greater participation in the sport.
Following the match, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty expressed her gratitude to the Bangladeshi community across the United Kingdom for their unwavering support throughout the tournament.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, she praised the fans who have followed the team from Edgbaston to Headingley and now Old Trafford.
"The support from the Bangladeshi community has been incredible," she said. "We have felt their love everywhere we have played. The people from Oldham have shown us wonderful hospitality and have come to support us several times. We hope they continue to support us until the end of the tournament."
While the result went in India's favour, the day belonged as much to the supporters as the players. The enthusiastic backing from Oldham's Bangladeshi community demonstrated the strong bond that continues to unite overseas Bangladeshis with their homeland, proving that distance is no barrier when it comes to supporting the national team.
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