By Maksuda Lisa, Pressenza Dhaka
In their second match of the Women’s T20 World Cup, Bangladesh faced the reigning world champions, Australia. However, the Tigresses failed to bridge the massive gap in class on the field. After being put into bat first at Headingley, the Bangladesh innings crumbled to a meager 77 runs under a clinical display of bowling by the Aussie pacers. In reply, Australia chased down the target losing just one wicket, sealing a comfortable victory with more than 10 overs to spare.
Coupled with the men’s team’s 4-wicket defeat at home in Chittagong on the same day, it turned out to be a thoroughly disappointing day for Bangladesh cricket.
Aussie Seamers Run Riot Amid Bangladesh Batting Collapse
Opting to field first in seam-friendly English conditions, the Australian captain’s decision paid off instantly. Exploiting the movement off the pitch, Aussie seamer Kim Garth dealt early blows. Opener Dalia Akter was clean-bowled for a duck in the second over of the match. Jayaria Ferdous (8), the half-centurion from the previous match, did not last long either, trapped LBW by Garth.
clueless against the precise line and length of the Australian bowlers, five Bangladeshi batters fell prey to LBW. With the team reeling at a dismal 27 for 5, captain Nigar Sultana Joty and Ritu Moni stepped up to rebuild.
The Sixth-Wicket Resistance
* The Partnership: Nigar Sultana and Ritu Moni put up a fighting 32-run stand for the sixth wicket.
* The Breakthrough: Wareham broke the partnership at a team score of 59, forcing Ritu Moni (16) to hole out to square leg.
* The Captain’s Fight: Captain Nigar Sultana top-scored with a patient 27 off 47 balls before being trapped LBW by Molineux.
Bangladesh was restricted to 77 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs, managing to hit only 6 boundaries throughout the entire innings. For Australia, Kim Garth, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, and Sophie Molineux shared the spoils, picking up two wickets each.
Georgia Voll’s Fireworks Insures Rapid Chase
Chasing a modest target of 78, the only question for Australia was how quickly they could finish the game to boost their Net Run Rate (NRR). Opener Georgia Voll did exactly that with clinical precision. She smashed a fiery 45 off just 32 balls, laced with 6 boundaries- matching the total number of boundaries hit by the entire Bangladesh team.
The world champions chased down the target (78/1) in just 9.3 overs. Marufa Akter took the lone wicket for Bangladesh, finishing with figures of 1/28.
‘We are a much better team than this. We are just not used to playing in these conditions-‘ Nigar Sultana Joty, Captain, Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team.
Match Summary
Bangladesh: 77/8 (20 overs), Nigar Sultana 27, Ritu Moni 16. Molineux 2-14, Perry 2-14, Garth 2-18 .
Australia: 78/1 (9.3 overs), Georgia Voll 45. Marufa 1-28.
Result: Australia won by 9 wickets.
Injury-Hit Australia and Bangladesh’s Upcoming Equations
Before the match, Australia suffered major injury setbacks. Phoebe Litchfield (thigh injury) and Ashleigh Gardner (ankle injury) were ruled out, leaving the Aussies with only 13 fit players in their squad. However, it had zero negative impact on their performance, as this massive win further solidified their position at the top of the Group A points table.
On the other hand, Bangladesh must climb up from the bottom of Group A if they want to stay in the semifinal race. However, steeper challenges await Nigar Sultana’s side. Following their match against Pakistan on June 20, they will face formidable powerhouses– India on June 25 and South Africa on June 28.
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The Writer:
Maksuda Lisa: Staff Correspondent, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
