It was never expected to be a close one. Australia versus Bangladesh features one of the greatest disparities of resources in women’s international cricket. Still, having hosted Australia for a full series as recently as 2024, and with the recent fast starts of opening bat Juairiya Ferdous, and the intensity of opening pace bowler Marufa Akter, and the developing batting of Shorna Akter and Sharmin Akhter Supta, and the full suite of spin variety under the spiky leadership of Nigar Sultana Joty, there was reason to hope that Bangladesh might continue their development with a competitive performance.
Nothing of the sort, unfortunately, eventuated at the T20 World Cup in Leeds, as Australia notched a win in the north that supercharged their net run rate. Joty won the toss and batted, saying that she wanted to back her top order to be aggressive, only for the Powerplay to go diametrically in the other direction. A cautious opening over facing Megan Schutt, the swing bowler back in the side after Ash Gardner’s rolled ankle created space for the batting order to be shuffled up, was followed by Dilara Akter’s angled hoick across a straight ball from seamer Kim Garth that took off-stump.
Garth did much the same in her next over, this time hitting pad rather than timber to dismiss Juairiya, and while Sophie Molineux’s first ball saw an lbw dismissal against Sharmin overturned, Molineux had the on-field umpire upholding another appeal three balls later, this one so clearly out that it went uncontested.
Three wickets down for 17 by that point, 3-22 by the time fielding restrictions were lifted after six overs, and the game already looked as good as gone. Ellyse Perry has largely rescinded her all-rounder status in the last few years, bowling in only 22 of her past 78 international matches, presumably to protect her fitness while her teammates offer so many bowling options. Perhaps given the low intensity of the match, she was handed the ball in the eighth over and immediately struck twice, Sobhana Mostary well caught by Molineux at cover and Shorna given lbw.
Bangladesh batted through the innings largely thanks to a slow partnership between Joty and Ritu Moni, who crawled past 50 in the 16th over, seeing out almost nine overs but adding only 32 runs in the process. Both were dismissed trying to up the ante with aggressive sweep shots, before a few late runs took the score to a deflating and deflated 77 for 8.
The chase was obviously a formality, but Australia made sure to help their net run rate by doing it in less than half the allotted overs, Georgia Voll’s 45 not out from 32 balls leading the way as Perry notched another red ink with 19. The bright point, as so often lately, was Marufa, who was given her whole four overs in an attempt to get something out of the game. She did that in the form of Beth Mooney’s wicket, having already beaten the left-hander with wobble seam before having her held at mid-off miscuing a drive.
Before that, Marufa had Voll missed at short midwicket when Nahida Akter failed to get forward, and afterwards she had Perry dropped at mid-off, driving a length that wasn’t there for the shot. Marufa is only 21, yet has such evident skill and determination to succeed. Voll is a year older, and enjoys all the advantages of being supported amid a far more developed team. A nine-wicket win with 63 balls to spare takes Australia to the top of their group, but this is another demonstration of why cricket needs so much more investment channelled to the other end.