Thursday Oct 23, 2025
Thursday Oct 23, 2025
Wednesday, 8 October 2025 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
England eventually breathed a sigh of relief after being made to work hard for their 4-wicket win against Bangladesh in an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match played at Guwahati yesterday.
The win was England’s second in as many games and put them on top of the standings on net run rate over India with four points.
Heather Knight’s composure proved decisive, guiding her side home in a tricky chase. Charlie Dean had mentioned at the break that they needed to dig deep, and that’s exactly what her former skipper did. Marufa Akter once again struck early for Bangladesh, removing both openers, before Nat Sciver-Brunt’s counterattack (32 off 41 balls, 5 fours) ended tamely with a full toss to midwicket. A mini collapse followed with four wickets tumbling for 34 runs, but Knight held firm and, along with Dean, stitched a crucial 80-run stand for the seventh wicket to take England over the line. Player of the Match Knight ended unbeaten on 79 scored off 111 balls (8 fours, 1 six) and Dean was 27* off 56 balls.
Earlier Bangladesh’s tactics were strange to understand. At times they were content to just bat and not worry about the net run-rate. They seemed content playing within themselves and never really shifted gears. A few small partnerships came and went, but all at a sluggish tempo. Sobhana Mostary, batting at No.4, held the innings together and brought up her maiden ODI fifty (60 off 108 balls, 8 fours), yet found little support at the other end. It was only Rabeya Khan’s late burst, an unbeaten 27-ball 43 (6 fours, 1 six) that gave the innings some life and lifted them to 178 which is a total well below par. England’s spinners did the bulk of the damage, claiming nine of the ten wickets to fall, with Sophie Ecclestone leading the charge with 3/24.
Scores:
Bangladesh Women 178 (49.4) (Sharmin Akhter 30, Sobhana Mostary 60, Rabeya Khan 43*, Linsey Smith 2/33, Sophie Ecclestone 3/24, Charlie Dean 2/28, Alice Capsey 2/31)
England Women 182-6 (46.1) (Heather Knight 79*, Nat Sciver-Brunt 32, Alice Capsey 20, Charlie Dean 27*, Marufa Akter 2/28, Fahima Khatun 3/16)
