Sobhana Mostary played an innings to remember as her unbeaten 66 off 80 balls rescued Bangladesh from a hole and got them to a competitive score. Sobhana Mostary looked fairly in control of the innings while others struggled against a disciplined Australian attack where wickets were shared around to keep the score to a below-par 198/9 in 50 overs. Australia has to bat badly to lose this one. It is their game to win from here.
Bangladesh gets off to a decent start in the power play
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Fargana Hoque and Rubya Haider came out to bat for Bangladesh while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Hoque began well with a glance down to fine leg fence. Darcie Brown took the ball from the other end. Haider got an outside edge that went away to third man fence for a streaky boundary. Haider survived a close LBW shout. Haider got another streaky boundary off Schutt to the third man fence. Brown bowled a tidy over as well. Schutt bowled a tidy over as well.
Haider got another edge that went away to the third man fence through gully region. Haider flicked it away to midwicket region for a boundary. Haider got a lifeline when Litchfield put down a tough chance inside the circle. Brown continued and kept things under check. Schutt got the breakthrough for Australia ending Hoque’s stay for 8 off 24 balls with a boundary to her name.
Schutt bowled short of a good length around the fifth stump line. Hoque chased the ball away from the body and looked to play the expansive drive and got a thick outside edge as Mooney grabbed the catch at first slip with both hands. Sharmin Akhter walked out to bat for Bangladesh.
Healy then dropped a dolly off Brown as Haider got a lifeline. Sharmin then hit a glorious drive through mid-on as the ball raced away to the fence. Bangladesh were 37/1 in 10 overs at the end of the powerplay.
Australia continued to chip away at wickets and tightened the screws
Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack next and was welcomed by Haider for a boundary down to fine leg fence. Annabel Sutherland came into the attack next and started with a maiden over. Gardner continued as Sharmin opened the face of the bat and steered it past the slips for a boundary to bring up the 50 for Bangladesh. Sutherland continued as Sharmin pulled her away between deep square leg and fine leg for a boundary. Gardner continued and bowled a decent over as Bangladesh reached 58/1 in 15 overs when players paused for Drinks Break.
Sutherland continued after the break as Haider hit her for back-to-back boundaries to get the scoreboard moving. Alana King came into the attack next. She bowled a very tight over. Gardner changed ends as Haider lofted her over mid-off for a boundary. Gardner got the breakthrough next getting rid of Haider for 44 off 59 balls with 8 fours to her name.
Gardner tossed it up outside off, Haider got down on one knee and looked to slog it up and over mid-on but failed to get the required elevation as the ball went to Tahlia who took the catch easily. Nigar Sultana came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. King bowled a maiden over. Gardner too kept it tight as the score reached 76/2 in 20 overs.
King gave away 5 wides as a bonus to the batting team. Gardner then removed Sharmin for 19 off 33 balls with 3 fours to her name. Gardner tossed it up nicely on the stumps, Sharmin planted her front leg and looked to hit it over mid-on and got it off the toe end of the bat as the ball went to Sutherland who took it easily. Sobhana Mostary came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. King gave away 4 byes to the batting side. Gardner kept things tight as well.
The 100 came up for Bangladesh in 24.2 overs. King was giving nothing away as Bangladesh reached 101/3 at the halfway stage of the innings.
Australia picked up wickets at regular intervals to keep Bangladesh under check
Annabel Sutherland came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. King continued and got rid of Sultana for 12 off 35 balls. She tossed it up nicely on the stumps. Sultana decided to take it on and break the shackles. She stepped out of the crease and looked to slog it across the line but missed it completely. She tried to get back but Healy was quick to whip the stumps off. Bat was in the air and OUT was the verdict. Shorna Akter came out to bat next.
Sutherland continued as Healy couldn’t hold onto the catch of Shorna. King bowled another maiden over. Sutherland kept things under check as Bangladesh were 109/4 in 30 overs. King continued as Akter survived a close call with another catch drop by Mooney. Mostary broke the shackles as she whacked it over midwicket for a boundary. She hit Sutherland again through cover point for a boundary. Drinks was taken at the score of 118/4 in 32 overs.
King continued after the break and bowled a miserly over. Darcie Brown returned to the attack as Shorna stood tall and pulled it away over midwicket for a boundary. King got rid of Shorna for 7 off 24 balls with a boundary to her name. Alana tossed it up around the fourth stump line gripped and turned away. Shorna prod forward to defend. The ball kissed the outside edge and Mooney took a low catch at first slip. Ritu Moni came out to bat next.
Brown continued and bowled another decent over. Georgia Wareham came out to bowl next. She got rid of Moni for 2 off 9 balls. Flighted delivery full outside off-stump. Wareham teased it as Ritu pressed forward and looked to go over top of mid-off. She mistimed it from the toe end of the blade and McGrath took a comfortable catch at mid-off. Fahima Khatun came out to bat next. Brown continued and bowled a decent over.
Wareham bowled a decent over yet again. Mostary took the attack to Brown as she hit her for consecutive boundaries down the ground and also over midwicket. Mostary then caressed her through the covers for a boundary. At the end of 40 overs, Bangladesh were 150/6 and needed a big finish in the end.
Late flourish from Sobhana Mostary amidst flurry of wickets took Bangladesh to 198/9
Georgia Wareham continued and bowled a miserly over. Sutherland returned to the attack and got rid of Fahima for 4 off 14 balls. Sutherland bowled a shorter delivery outside off-stump. Fahima hung back and went for the cut but it got big on her. She failed to keep it down and picked out Mooney at backward point who timed her jump to perfection to grab it over the head. Rabeya Khan came out to bat next.
Wareham continued and kept things tight. Sutherland continued as Rabeya hit her and beat mid-off for a boundary. Wareham then got rid of Rabeya for 6 off 11 balls with a boundary to her name. Wareham tossed it up outside off-stump. Rabeya shuffled across the stumps and got down on one knee and went for the sweep. She failed to keep it down and Gardner from deep midwicket ran in and took a very good catch. Nishita Akter Nishi walked out to bat next.
Bangladesh were 162/8 in 45 overs. Sutherland removed Nishi for 1 off 7 balls thanks to good usage of DRS. Slower delivery that pitched around the off-stump and came back in. Nishi didn’t pick the variation and she is beaten on the defence. She wore it on the front pad and it looked OUT to the naked eye. The umpire gave it NOT OUT and three reds meant the decision was overturned. Fariha Trishna came out to bat next. Sutherland ended with 2/42 in 10 overs.
Wareham continued as Mostary got an outside edge past slips and away to the fence. Gardner came back into the attack. Mostary got to her fifty with a thick outside edge that ran past Mooney at short third man. She got to her fifty in 67 balls. Bangladesh survived a run out scare as well. Wareham gifted 5 runs as a bonus to the batting side.
Mostary then pulled it away through midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Gardner was given the chance to bowl the final over as Mostary was dropped by Sutherland in the deep. Mostary hit Garnder for a boundary as Wareham dropped this one as well. Mostary got a brace and survived a run out chance. In the end, Bangladesh ended with 198/9 in 50 overs. Mostary was unbeaten on 66 off 80 balls with 9 fours to her name. Trisna was unbeaten on 1. 28 extras given by the Aussies.
It was a disciplined bowling display by Australia. Ashleigh Gardner finished with 2/48 in 9 overs. Annabel Sutherland finished with 2/42 in 10 overs. Alana King finished with 2/18 in 10 overs. Georgia Wareham finished with 2/22 in 7 overs. Megan Schutt got 1/11 in 5 overs. Darcie Brown was wicketless in her 9 overs for 52 runs. Australia now needed 199 to win this game off 50 overs.
Who’s winning Australia or Bangladesh
So, Australia have done a decent job albeit the dropped catches to keep Bangladesh under 200 and will fancy their chances in winning this one. It is their game to lose. Can Bangladesh with their plethora of spinner pull off a surprise? Only time will tell.
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