At Headingley, Australia easily defeated Bangladesh, limiting them to 77 for 8 before chasing down the runs with more than 10 overs remaining, giving themselves another substantial net run rate boost.
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| In her opening two overs, Kim Garth scored twice |
This was another impressive performance, although the game went according to plan, particularly after Australia had been able to bowl first in favourable conditions on a surface that nibbled about for the seamers. Although victory was shared, Kim Garth set the tone with a pair of early wickets and had strong support from Ellyse Perry.
Even after slumping to 27 for 5 in the eighth over, Bangladesh may regret not being a little bolder, even though they could only achieve six boundaries in their 20 overs. Nigar Sultana, the captain and top scorer with 27 off 47 balls, declared, "We are better than that," following the game.
After taking a few balls to establish her rhythm, Georgia Voll pounded the boundaries, collecting as many fours in 32 deliveries (six) as Bangladesh had managed in their whole innings. The chase just depended on how soon Australia could complete it.
Due to Ashleigh Gardner's ankle strain and Phoebe Litchfield's quad injury, Australia had only 13 fit players to choose from before the beginning of the match.
The groove's garth
Headingley has been a favourite of many swing and seam bowlers throughout the years, and Garth quickly made an impression on a cool morning when the sun was hesitant to rise. In the second over, Dilara Akter swiped across the line, and Juairiya Ferdous, who had made such an impression against the Netherlands, was beaten by a ball that straightened as she also tried to leg it.
Sophie Molineux followed her first-over wicket against South Africa with another when Sharmin Akhter was dismissed by the DRS after Molineux's initial ball, which was missing leg, was rescued by the DRS. Meanwhile, the recalled Megan Schutt was a little short with her inswingers.
Perry's reminder of Molineux's infinite possibilities
Molineux then contributed to Perry's first wicket by removing Sobhana Mostary's drive with a deft catch at short cover. When a nip-backer pinned Shorna Akter lbw at the conclusion of her first over, Perry had already scored two runs. Perry went on to bowl three overs in a Twenty20 International for the first time since January 2024, despite being deployed with the ball less frequently these days.
In the eighth over, Perry's double strike reduced Bangladesh to 27 for 5 and put them in danger of being bowled out. Nigar and Ritu Moni's stand of 32 stopped that, but Australia was never under any scoring pressure.
Legspinners Georgia Wareham and Alana King shared four overs as Molineux alternated between different pace and spin combinations. Molineux has so many alternatives that even the talented swing bowler Nicola Carey, who would have loved these conditions, hasn't bowled in the competition yet.
Voll is in a hurry
Voll quickly gained ground in the brief chase after taking a few deliveries to adjust to the pitch's speed and Marufa Akter's inswing. After the duck against South Africa, she started the competition with her maiden boundary, a six down the ground off Marufa, and other shots in the 'V' that demonstrated her power.
Marufa bowled her four overs straight through, and the only wicket to fall was Beth Mooney, who was well-held at mid-off by a diving Moni. Australia has given itself early breathing room in the race for a semi-final position, but it will be hoping that its injury problems subside in the coming days.
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