Australia eased to a nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh for their second win of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
After spin dominated their triumph over South Africa, seam dominated at Headingley as they restricted Bangladesh to 77 for eight.
Georgia Voll’s 45 not out helped Australia to chase down the target comfortably, winning with 63 balls to spare.
GARTH SETS TONE AS BANGLADESH STRUGGLE
Australia were forced into two changes from their dominant opening win with Phoebe Litchfield expected to miss three games with an acute quad injury and Ashleigh Gardner out with a sprained ankle.
Megan Schutt came in for her first game of the tournament but it was her fellow opening bowler Garth who got the first wicket as she clean bowled Dilara Akter for a three-ball duck.
Juairiya Ferdous, in form after a fifty in Bangladesh’s win against the Netherlands on Sunday, struck the first boundary of the innings but she was out three balls later as Garth (2/18) trapped her LBW.
Australia captain Sophie Molineux brought herself on to bowl the first bit of spin and saw an LBW decision overturned off her first ball before eventually dismissing Sharmin Akhter three deliveries later.
Bangladesh were in trouble at 17 for three with two new batters at the crease in the form of Sobhana Mostary and captain Nigar Sultana.
Between them, the pair hit a boundary in back-to-back overs but Ellyse Perry soon had her first wicket of the game thanks to a flying catch by Molineux at cover to dismiss Sobhana for four.
Matters got even worse for Bangladesh when Perry (2/14) took her second wicket in the over by trapping Shorna Akter LBW to leave Bangladesh 27 for five.
The Tigresses slowly rebuilt, with Nigar and Ritu Moni (16) putting on 32 for the sixth wicket before Georgia Voll caught Ritu off the bowling of Georgia Wareham.
Nigar went two overs later for a tentative 27 from 47 as Molineux (2/14) dismissed her opposite number, while Bangladesh ended their innings on 77 for eight.
VOLL LEADS AUSTRALIA TO QUICK CHASE
Australia had plenty of time to chase down their target but, with an eye on net run rate, they decided to get a move on as Voll hit 11 off Marufa Akter’s second over.
The bowler took Bangladesh’s first wicket in the fifth over, as Ritu held a stunning catch to dismiss Beth Mooney for 10.
Perry was almost dismissed first ball by Marufa but responded by crashing the next delivery for four and from there it was over to Voll.
She was the aggressor, scoring 34 of Australia’s 49 by the time of the drinks break at the end of the powerplay.
Perry survived another chance as she was put down by Sobhana, and mistakes in the field were further punished when a Ritu delivery missed everything and went to the boundary for byes.
Perry (19 not out) hit the winning runs as Australia wrapped up victory in just 9.3 overs to give them extra rest before they take on the Netherlands in Southampton on Saturday.
Scores in brief:
Australia v Bangladesh – Headingley, Leeds
Bangladesh 77/8 in 20 overs (Nigar Sultana 27, Ritu Moni 16; Sophie Molineux 2/14, Ellyse Perry 2/14)
Australia 78/1 in 9.3 overs (Georgia Voll 45 not out, Ellyse Perry 19 not out; Marufa Akter 1/28)
Result: Australia win by nine wickets
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