Dhaka, Oct. 13 -- Bangladesh came agonisingly close to a historic win but were pipped at the finish thanks to late-fielding lapses as South Africa scraped a three-wicket victory with three balls left in a tense encounter in the Women's World Cup.

Opting to bat, Bangladesh rode on half-centuries from Sharmin Akhter (50) and Shorna Akter (51) to post a challenging 232 at Visakhapatnam on Monday.

Sharmin anchored the innings with a patient 50 from 77 balls, and the top four all passed 25, frustrating South Africa's bowlers in the early stages.

The real fireworks, however, came from teenager Shorna. Her 34-ball fifty, the fastest in Bangladeshi women's ODI history, featured three towering sixes and three piercing fours over long-on, while ...