ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, ENG-W vs BAN-W: Spinners shine as England beat Bangladesh by 21 runs

Sharjah: On a day when spinners ruled the roost, England’s four-pronged spin attack combined to defeat Bangladesh by 21 runs in a low-scoring match and make a winning start within the ICC Females’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Sharjah International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday. The Group B favourites picked all four of their leading spinners, and the quartet were put to work after England may per chance only set a target of 119 with a batting effort that fizzled out after a forty eight-run first-wicket stand. Bangladesh closed on ninety seven/7, still 21 runs short of their target.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge top scored with forty one for England, however it became the Bangladesh bowlers who shone as evening became night in Sharjah, with Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun and Nahida Akter picking up two wickets apiece in a brilliant team effort.

The ball continued to dominate at some point of Bangladesh’s chase, with only Sobhana Mostary showing any fluency with a knock of Forty four that made England sweat somewhat, the ICC reports.

Linsey Smith became the stand-out bowler, taking 2-eleven from her four overs, while Charlie Dean 2-22, Sarah Glenn 1-22 and Sophie Ecclestone all contributed to limit the scoring, as England sent down 16 overs of spin within the innings.

Charlie Dean and Linsey Smith removed openers Dilara Akter (6 from 12) and Shathi Rani (7 from 9) in a slow start, and a recovery partnership between Sobhana Mostary and Nigar Sultana left the Tigresses on Forty two/2 at the midway point of their chase, needing to up the scoring rate but with an exceptional deal of wickets still in hand against the favourites to qualify from the group.

But the spin brilliance of England strangled the scoring rate, leaving an excessive amount of for Bangladesh’s middle order to do. Mostary gave it her best shot, rotating the strike superbly in her forty eight-ball Forty four. But England’s spinners picked up wickets forever enough to disclaim any momentum within the chase.

Glenn, Smith and Nat Sciver-Brunt picked up a wicket apiece to keep England on top, and the sport became effectively done when Dean trapped Mostary in front with 9 balls remaining.

Earlier, England’s openers made a sturdy start after Heather Knight’s World Cup started with the suitable call at the toss as England chose to bat first within the evening game. Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge played throughout the powerplay scoring at a rate that few teams have looked capable of doing on the Sharjah surface, with the score at forty eight/1 when Bouchier became caught for 23 (18).

But Bouchier’s wicket prompted a slow-down as Bangladesh got themselves into the sport, prizing out the main scalps of Nat Sciver-Brunt (2) and Heather Knight (6) – the latter cleaned up by a beauty from Ritu Moni. Wyatt-Hodge’s sparkling knock ended short of a half-century as she became stumped for forty one off Nahida Akter and Alice Capsey struggled to get stepping into an innings of 9 (17), leaving England needing their lower middle order to boost the total to at least one they’d have been hoping for after opting to bat first.

Fahima Khatun returned outstanding figures of two-18 from her four overs. Rabeya Khan played a tremendous part in England’s slowdown, with 1-15 from her four, alternatively the batters weren’t reasonably ready to finish the job within the 2nd innings.

Bangladesh will now turn their center of attention towards a important clash with West Indies in their next match on Thursday, while England make a return to action on Monday against South Africa.

Brief scores:

England 118/7 in 20 overs (Danni Wyatt-Hodge forty one, Maia Bouchier 23; Fahima Khatun 2-18, Ritu Moni 2-24, Nahida Akter 2-32) beat Bangladesh ninety seven/7 in 20 overs (Sobhana Mostary Forty four; Linsey Smith 2-eleven, Charlie Dean 2-22) by 21 runs.