New Zealand recovered from a stuttering start against the spinners courtesy of Brooke Halliday and Sophie Devine‘s half-centuries while others chipped in with late cameos to take New Zealand out of a hole and get to 227/9 in 50 overs on a used surface.
For Bangladesh, Rabeya Khan was the star with 3/30 in 10 overs and that went a long way in keeping the score under 230 runs. This game can go either way and the start will be important for both teams in the chase. Interesting game in prospect.
Bangladesh strike twice to dent New Zealand in the powerplay
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer came out to bat for New Zealand while Marufa Akter had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Marufa bowled a waist height full toss which was deemed no ball, but the free hit yielded no runs. Marufa thought she had Bates LBW as the finger was raised, but Bates reviewed and got the decision overturned in her favour with impact outside off-stump.
Nahida Akter came into the attack from the other end. She bowled a quiet over as well. Marufa continued as Bates broke the shackles by hitting the short of length delivery outside off-stump through cover point for a boundary. Bates then crunched Marufa square of the wicket through backward point region for a boundary. Nahida continued and bowled a quiet over yet again.
We had a change in bowling as Rabeya Khan came into the attack now. Bates showed deft touch to get it past the slip fielder for a boundary to third man. Marufa changed ends but was caressed through extra covers for a boundary by Bates. Bates was on a roll as she sat back and pulled it handsomely over forward square leg region for a boundary. Bates got the third boundary of the over as she leaned into the drive and square drove it between point and backward point for a boundary.
Nahida changed ends as well and bowled a decent over. Nishita Akter Nishi came into the attack next. She bowled a miserly first over. Rabeya Khan returned to the attack as she got the breakthrough for Bangladesh dismissing Plimmer for 4 off 18 balls. Rabeya bowled a flighted leg break on a good length around the off-stump. Plimmer stepped out of the crease and looked to push it straight but failed to get to the pitch of the ball. She got beaten on the outside edge and Sultana did the rest behind the stumps. Amelia Kerr came out to bat next.
Bangladesh got another wicket as the set form batter Suzie Bates was run out via a miscommunication for 29 off 33 balls with 6 boundaries to her name as the dive could not save Bates at the batter’s end. Captain Sophie Devine came out to bat next. Nahida came to bowl the final over of powerplay and bowled a maiden over. After 10 overs at the end of the powerplay, New Zealand were 35/2.
Amelia Kerr falls; Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday steady things for New Zealand.
Rabeya continued after the powerplay and she got rid of Amelia Kerr for 1 off 10 balls. Rabeya bowled a flighted leg break on the stumps and got it to drift in and spin away a fraction after pitching. Kerr looked to defend it with a straight bat but played down the wrong line. She got beaten on the outside edge as the ball crashed on the stumps. Brooke Halliday came out to bat next.
Nishi continued and bowled a miserly over. Rabeya also kept things under check. Nishi kept the stranglehold in the scoring as well. Fahima Khatun was introduced into the attack. She started her spell with a decent over. Drinks was taken at this stage with the score reading 49/3 in 15 overs. Nishi continued and kept things tight as well. Halliday finally broke the shackles as she reverse swept Khatun fine through vacant third man region for a boundary.
Nishi continued and bowled another quiet over. Fahima Khatun also kept things under check. Marufa Akter came back into the attack now. Halliday broke the shackles again as she saw the width and went back deep in the crease to cut it late to beat backward point for a boundary to deep third man. New Zealand reached 70/3 in 20 overs.
Rabeya Khan came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over. Nishita Akter Nishi returned to the attack. Halliday came down on one knee and swept it behind square to the deep backward square fence. Rabeya continued to keep things under check. Nishi too did not give much away. Nahida Akter came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over. At the end of 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, New Zealand were struggling at 84/3.
Halliday leads New Zealand’s fightback with half-century; Sophie Devine the key as New Zealand reach 153/4 in 40 overs.
Fahima Khatun came back into the attack as the 50-run stand came up between Halliday and Devine which was much-needed for the White Ferns. Shorna Akter was introduced into the attack. She started her spell with a decent over. Fahima continued and bowled another decent over. Shorna bowled another miserly over. The 100 finally came up for New Zealand in 29.2 overs. Fahima bowled a decent over as New Zealand reached 104/3 in 30 overs.
Shorna continued and kept things tight out there. Nishita came back into the attack and overstepped. Halliday took advantage of the free hit and brought up her fifty in style off 80 balls. Nishi tossed it up delivery on the fuller side on leg stump. Halliday took her front leg out of the way and got underneath this one and lifted it nicely over mid-on for a boundary.
Shorna continued as Halliday took her on and got down on one knee to slog sweep it over midwicket as she nailed this one for the maximum. Halliday completed 1000 ODI runs while Devine was dropped by Sultana off Shorna, a tough chance went begging.
Sultana hurt herself in her fingers as physio came out to check on her and that pause meant the Drinks Break was also taken. Marufa Akter came back for another spell and bowled a decent comeback over. Rabeya returned to the bowling crease and bowled a decent over. Nahida came back into the attack. She too bowled a decent over. Fahima Khatun returned to the bowling attack. She bowled another decent over. Marufa returned to the bowling attack as the 100-run stand came up between Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday.
Devine got herself a first boundary off Marufa by drilling it past covers as Fahima misfielded as well at the cover position to allow the boundary. Devine hit another boundary off Marufa a few balls later as she hit the fuller length on the pads by wristing it away to flick it between square leg and short fine leg for a boundary. Fahima continued as Halliday got down on one knee and pulled it past square leg to beat deep midwicket for a boundary. The 150 came up for New Zealand in 38.1 overs.
Fahima broke the massive partnership by dismissing Halliday for 69 off 104 balls with 5 fours and a maximum to her name. Fahima tossed this up on the stumps. Halliday got down on one knee and went for a slog sweep. She got a top edge and Sultana behind the stumps moved a couple of steps to her right and took a simple catch. Maddy Green came out to bat next.
Rabeya Khan came back into the attack. She bowled a decent 40th over giving hardly anything away as New Zealand reached 153/4 in 40 overs. An important 10 overs were ahead of us for both teams.
Sophie Devine falls after getting half-century; late flourish takes New Zealand to 227/9
Nahida Akter came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over. Devine took a pause to add glucose to her levels. Nishi bowled a quiet over as well. Fahima continued and kept things under check. Devine then took the attack to Nishi by coming down the track and swinging across the line for a maximum over midwicket. She got to her fifty in 82 balls. Then she hit Nishi again by swinging across the line and cleared midwicket for the maximum. Nishi eventually got rid of Devine for 63 off 85 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to her name.
Nishi bowled a length delivery on the middle stump line and went straight with the arm. It was not full enough for Devine to go for the slog sweep one again. She got down on one knee and swung for another big hit. She failed to judge the line of the ball as it went through the gate to hit middle stump. Isabella Gaze came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Nishi ended her spell.
Green then hit Nahida for a boundary by heaving it through the leg side between deep midwicket and wide long-on for a boundary. Green once again smashed down the ground past the umpire for a boundary off Nahida as New Zealand reached 191/5 in 45 overs. Rabeya came back into the attack. She kept things tight out there. Nahida too kept things tight from the other end. Rabeya continued as Green hit the slog sweep down on one knee playing the lofted sweep to deep midwicket for a boundary as the 200 came up for New Zealand in 47.1 overs.
Rabeya came back and got another wicket as she removed Green for 25 off 28 balls with 3 fours to her name. Rabeya bowled a length delivery pitched on the middle stump line. Green stepped outside the crease to work in the leg side with soft hands. The ball passed between the bat and pad as Nigar did the rest by whipping off the bails. Jess Kerr came out to bat next. She was gone first ball run out for a golden duck while trying to steal a single at extra cover as she was short of her ground. Rosemary Mair came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Rabeya finished her outstanding spell.
Nahida continued as Gaze hammered her down the ground straight as an arrow for a boundary. Nahida then dismissed Mair for 2 off 4 balls. Nahida bowled a full and flighted ball on the leg stump line. Mair advanced down the pitch and yorked herself. She failed to dig the ball out. The ball goes through and was collected behind the leg stump by Sultana who whipped off the bails. Lea Tahuhu came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Marufa Akter came to bowl the final over. Tahuhu hit Marufa down the ground past long-on and long-off for a boundary. Then Tahuhu cleared long-off down the ground for the maximum. Tahuhu was then dropped by Nahida as she went to the other end. Marufa then removed Gaze for 12 off 13 balls with a boundary to her name. Marufa bowled a good length delivery pitching on the off-stump line and seamed back in. Gaze swivelled across the line from her crease and was beaten all ends up. The ball went through the gate to hit the top of the leg stump.
Eden Carson came out to bat next. She got the outside edge past the keeper who couldn’t hold on as the ball went away to the third man fence. They got a bye to end the over and innings. New Zealand finished with 227/9 in 50 overs with Tahuhu remaining unbeaten on 12 off 4 balls with one four and one six to her name. Eden Carson remained unbeaten on 4 off 2 balls with a boundary to her name. 6 extras given by Bangladesh team.
Rabeya Khan was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/30 in 10 overs. Nahida Akter finished with 1/36 in 10 overs. Nishita Akter Nishi finished with 1/47 in 10 overs. Fahima Khatun finished with 1/37 in 9 overs. Marufa Akter finished with 1/58 in 7 overs. Shorna Akter finished with 0/18 in 4 overs. It means Bangladesh needs 228 to win this game and upstage New Zealand.
What Lies Ahead for New Zealand and Bangladesh.
New Zealand have recovered from early stutter on a used surface to get to a competitive 227/9 in 50 overs on a used surface. Bangladesh have to bat well to get these and their batting is brittle to say the least. We feel New Zealand have runs on the board, but dew will be a factor as well. An interesting fascinating run chase awaits us in Guwahati. Let’s see who wins the contest.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Bangladesh’s Spinners Wreck New Zealand