Sharmin Akhter steered Bangladesh through a mid-innings wobble with a mature 37 not out as the Tigresses beat the Netherlands at Edgbaston.
The Netherlands (ICC Ranking: 14) were playing in their first-ever ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match and, after posting 139 for eight in their innings, they pulled Bangladesh (ICC Ranking: 10) back from 67 without loss to 85 for four.
Caroline De Lange took two wickets in two balls, including dangerous opener Juairiya Ferdous (50), but Sharmin and Shorna Akter helped Bangladesh to a six-wicket victory with five balls to spare.
It marks a perfect start to Bangladesh’s Group A campaign ahead of their match against Australia at Headingley on Wednesday, while the Netherlands next face India at the same venue.
DE LEEDE STARS AS NETHERLANDS MAKE SOLID START
After winning the toss, Netherlands captain Babette De Leede elected to bat and Phebe Molkenboer took the attack to Bangladesh bowler Marufa Akter in the second over, striking consecutive boundaries before edging behind.
Heather Siegers took 10 from the third over but her stay was also short-lived as Nigar Sultana took a superb catch while standing up to the stumps after the Dutch opener edged Fariha Trisna behind.
Rabeya Khan took her 50th T20I wicket with her first ball of the tournament, bowling Sterre Kalis with a ball that drifted in to hit off-stump, leaving the Netherlands 47 for three early in the eighth over.
De Leede took some time to assess the conditions, playing and missing at her first two balls and surviving an early run-out chance, but she provided stability as others fell around her.
Robine Rijke (13) was caught and bowled by Marufa and Sanya Khurana (1) fell cheaply to Ritu Moni, but De Leede ran hard and began finding the boundary with more regularity.
She nailed back-to-back cover drives off Sanjida Akter Meghla in the 14th over, before overturning an LBW decision on review. But it was 50 and out for the Netherlands skipper as she reached the landmark with a single but was run out coming back for a second.
A late rally from Iris Zwilling (13 not out) and Silver Siegers (10 not out) – sister of Heather – helped take the score to 139 for eight at the end of their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup innings.
JUAIRIYA AND SHARMIN LEAD THE BANGLADESH CHARGE
In reply, Bangladesh made a fast start and Juairiya made her intentions clear early, swinging and missing at Iris Zwilling’s outswinging first ball.
She rode her luck at times and survived a heart-in-mouth moment when the TV umpire deemed Robine Rijke’s fingers weren’t underneath the ball as she claimed a chance at deep midwicket.
Juairiya made the most of that lifeline, targeting the deep midwicket region and striking the ball ferociously hard.
Her partner Dilara Akter got in on the act in Silver Siegers’ first over, which went for 13, and the Tigresses ended the powerplay 47 without loss.
Juairiya whacked Isabel Van Der Woning for six over midwicket in the seventh over and repeated the trick in De Lange’s following set to bring up a 32-ball half-century, only her second in T20Is.
But she miscued her next ball to Molkenboer at backward point and De Lange, who quit her job as a doctor to play in this tournament, bowled Bangladesh skipper Nigar off the following delivery to hoist her side back into contention.
Dilara was then given out off the first ball of Heather Siegers’ following over, but the hopes of a team hat-trick were ended when the caught-behind verdict was overturned on review.
The opener was soon departing, though, bowled by a ripping leg-break from the other Siegers sister, Silver, for 26 to leave Bangladesh 79 for three.
Sobhana Mostary (4) was run out by a brilliant direct hit by Frederique Overdijk off her own bowling, before Sharmin and Shorna settled things down, leaving their side 25 to win off the final four overs.
That was narrowed to 12 with two remaining and Sharmin drove Heather Siegers for four to leave them three to get off the last.
Shorna finished it with a flourish, lofting over mid-off to seal victory by six wickets.
Scores in brief
Bangladesh v Netherlands- Edgbaston, Birmingham
Netherlands 139/8 in 20 overs (Babette De Leede 50, Heather Siegers 16; Marufa Akter 2/31, Ritu Moni 1/17)
Bangladesh 141/4 in 19.1 overs (Juairiya Ferdous 50, Sharmin Akhter 37 not out, Caroline De Lange 2/27, Silver Siegers 1/24)
Result: Bangladesh win by six wickets
Beo
The All Blacks perform the traditional Māori war dance, called the Haka, before each match. The Haka serves as a display of strength, unity, and respect for their opponents. The most famous version performed by the team is called “Ka Mate,” although they have also introduced other versions, such as “Kapa o Pango.”
Crash Override
Dirk Nannes has represented both Australia and Netherlands in International Cricket.