Sophie Ecclestone showed why she is the Number 1 bowler in the world and was on song from the word go. Sophie Ecclestone was determined to prove a point to all her detractors as her 3/23 alongside the other spinners sharing the wickets restricted Bangladesh to 178. The likes of Charlie Dean, Alice Capsey, and Linsey Smith got 2 wickets apiece as 9 wickets fell to spin.
Bangladesh struggled and managed somehow to get to 178 thanks to Sobhana Mostary’s 60 and Rabeya Khan’s cameo of unbeaten 43 off 27 balls. That was the reason why Bangladesh got to 178 or else 150 looked beyond reach at one point. England have their noses in front and Bangladesh needs to take early wickets to make a match out of this.
England strike twice to keep Bangladesh quiet in the powerplay
Put into bat first, Rubya Haider and Sharmin Akhter came out to bat for Bangladesh while Lauren Bell had ball in hand for England. Akhter managed to get a streaky boundary through the slip cordon to third man fence. Linsey Smith had ball in hand from the other end. She bowled a miserly first over. Bell continued as Akhter took the attack to Bell with back-to-back boundaries through cover point and through fine leg region as well. Akhter was not done yet as she guided it past the slip cordon for a boundary.
Smith continued to keep things tight with a miserly over. Bell got the first breakthrough for England as she dismissed Haider for 4 off 9 balls. Bell bowled a good length delivery around off-stump. Haider advanced down the track and looked to lift it down the ground but the bat turned in her hands on impact. She miscued it and Dunkley at mid-off backpedalled to take the catch. Captain Nigar Sultana came out to bat next.
Smith continued and got rid of Sultana for a silver duck. Smith tossed it up nicely outside off-stump. Sultana planted her front leg and was clearly early into the push. She ended up chipping it straight to short covers where Dean took the catch safely. Sobhana Mostary came out to bat next. Bell continued and bowled a maiden over. Smith too gave hardly anything away.
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt came onto the attack. Mostary broke the shackles as she hit Nat by leaning it through covers for a boundary. Sophie Ecclestone came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Ecclestone started with a maiden over as Bangladesh crawled their way to 31/2 in 10 overs of powerplay.
England chip away at the wickets to keep Bangladesh at 88/4 in 25 overs
Sciver-Brunt continued after the powerplay as Akhter glanced her away to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Mostary then took on Sciver-Brunt by pulling it behind square in the leg side for a boundary to long leg. Mostary hit another boundary of the English skipper by cutting the short and wide ball through the backward point region. Ecclestone continued as Mostary caressed her through the cover point region for a boundary.
Charlie Dean came into the attack next. She started her spell with a quiet over. Akhter then hit Ecclestone by cutting it past cover point for a boundary. Dean kept things tight at one end and gave nothing away. Ecclestone struck for England getting rid of Akhter for 30 off 52 balls with 6 fours to her name.
Sophie bowled a shorter delivery outside the off-stump line spinning away. Sharmin on the backfoot pushed at the ball to play through the off-side. She got an outside edge that carried to Amy Jones at waist height. She did well to take the catch. Shorna Akter came out to bat next.
Dean continued as Mostary broke the shackles by getting an edge through to the third man fence. Sophie continued and kept things under check. Dean once again bowled a decent over. Ecclestone bowled another miserly over as Bangladesh reached 76/3 in 20 overs.
Dean continued as Akter swung hard by getting down on one knee and beat the midwicket region for a boundary. Linsey Smith returned to the bowling crease. She bowled a decent over. Dean struck for England getting rid of Akter for 10 off 23 balls with a boundary to her name. Dean bowled on a length outside off-stump. Shorna was down on one knee and swung hard across the line for an attacking sweep shot. She got a feather edge to Amy Jones. Ritu Moni came out to bat next.
Smith continued and bowled another miserly over. Dean bowled a maiden over as Bangladesh at the halfway stage of the innings were 88/4 after 25 overs.
Sobhana Mostary the lone ranger for Bangladesh as England keeps things tight.Â
Smith continued and bowled a maiden over. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Alice Capsey came into the attack for the first time this afternoon. Capsey started her spell with a miserly over. Sciver-Brunt continued and kept the run scoring under check. Capsey bowled a maiden over as Bangladesh crawled to 92/4 in 30 overs.
Mostary broke the shackles as she hit Nat on the up through the covers for a boundary after 61 balls. Mostary managed to get another boundary away via a deft touch through the third man region for back-to-back boundaries. The 100 finally came up for Bangladesh in 30.5 overs. Capsey continued and bowled a decent over. Lauren Bell returned for another spell. She too kept things under check.
Charlie Dean came back into the attack and removed Moni for 5 off 36 balls. Dean tossed it up on the stumps, Moni danced down the track and swung hard at it looked to heave it into the leg side but didn’t get it off the middle of the bat. She picked out Linsey Smith at deep midwicket. Fahima Khatun came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon.
Bell continued and bowled a decent over. Mostary then got a reprieve as Amy Jones put her down a tough chance off Dean. Mostary was on 49 at this stage. Dean bowled a maiden over. Bell continued as some quiet over were being dished out by England. Mostary soon got to her maiden ODI fifty off 92 balls as the batter has held the innings together.
Sophie Ecclestone came back into the attack and bowled another miserly over. Alice Capsey continued and bowled the 40th over. She gave away just 3 runs as Bangladesh reached 121/5 in 40 overs with an important 10 overs remaining for both sides.
Rabeya Khan plays a cameo; England bowls Bangladesh out for 178 in 49.4 overs.Â
Sophie Ecclestone got the breakthrough for England as she removed Khatun for 7 off 25 balls. Sophie from around the wicket bowled a full length delivery on the off-stump line. Khatun got forward trying to drive the ball into the leg side but played all over it. The ball went straight through the gap between bat and pad and clattered into the stumps. Nahida Akter came out to bat next. Mostary hit Capsey for a boundary by clearing mid-off for a boundary.
Ecclestone got another wicket as she removed Nahida Akter for 1 off 8 balls. Sophie bowled full and flighted delivery outside the off-stump. There was little movement on the front foot but she chipped the ball straight in the hands of Dean at covers. Rabeya Khan came out to bat next. Rabeya swept Capsey for a boundary through square leg. She hit Capsey again into the gap through deep square leg for a boundary. Sophie continued and bowled a decent over to finish her spell as Bangladesh reached 145/7 in 45 overs.
Linsey Smith returned to the attack as Rabeya used her feet and slapped it over the umpire’s head for a boundary. Rabeya then got the outside edge that went away past Jones away to the third man fence for another boundary. Capsey returned to the attack. She got rid of Mostary for 60 off 108 balls with 8 fours to her name.
Capsey from over the wicket bowled a good length off-break hitting the front pad close to the off-stump line. The ball pitched outside off-stump and turned in. Mostary moved across to work it in the leg side and missed. The appeal was turned down. England reviewed and got it reversed as ball tracking showed three reds. Marufa Akter came out to bat next and got dismissed first ball for a golden duck as Capsey had 2 in 2 balls.
Capsey bowled a full length delivery away from the off-stump line. Marufa was down on one knee looking to play a flat batted slog in the leg side. She got a top edge skewing the ball down the ground. Bell at mid-off back pedalled and took it over her head. Appeared off balance but had complete control over the ball in her safe hands. Sanjida Akter Meghla came out to bat next. Smith continued and bowled a decent over.
Rabeya took the attack to Capsey by paddling it over short fine leg for a boundary. England appealed for LBW and burnt a tactical review against Meghla. Linsey Smith came to bowl the final over of the innings. Rabeya cleared her front leg lunging forward and launched it in the air over long-on for the maximum. She hit the next ball for a boundary by shuffling across and sweeping it behind square. But she went off strike. Smith then got rid of Meghla for 1 off 7 balls.
Smith bowled a full length outside off-stump. Meghla shuffled across by going deep in the crease. She lost her shape trying to heave it over mid-on. She mistimed the slog straight in the safe hands of Nat Sciver-Brunt inside the ring as Bangladesh were bowled out for 178 in 49.4 overs. Rabeya Khan remained unbeaten on 43 off 27 balls with 6 fours and a maximum to her name. 17 extras given by England.
Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/24 in 10 overs. Charlie Dean supported her with 2/28 in 10 overs. Linsey Smith bowled well for her 2/33 in 9.4 overs. Alice Capsey bowled well for her 2/31 in 8 overs. Lauren Bell chipped in with 1/28 in 7 overs. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt finished with 0/32 in 5 overs. England now need 179 runs to win and make it 2 wins out of 2 games.
What Lies Ahead for England and Bangladesh
Bangladesh tried to fight hard in a rank turner and they almost batted out 50 overs and scored 178. This score is not enough but the spinners will keep Bangladesh interested. But at the interval, with the depth in batting England will be the favourites. So, we reckon England should come out on top. If Bangladesh get early wickets then we could have a low scoring thriller in Guwahati.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds from this position.
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