Read our match report
An excellent result by England who managed to turn around a terrible slump of form - the Ashes followed by losing the first three matches of this World Cup - just in time to scratch a way to the semi-final. Heather Knight remains an unappreciated inspirational captain, Dunkley a brilliant young cricketer and Ecclestone a superstar. I’m going to bed before I get sucked into South Africa v India - Deepti has just bowled a beauty and South Africa are 2-0 after two overs. Thanks for all the emails, see you on Wednesday at an ungodly hour!
Sophia Dunkley wins the player of the match award for that 67 off 72 balls on a slow pitch.
Bangladesh finish seventh in the table in their first World Cup, and with more exposure will come increased ambition.
And finally, Raf’s maths says that “England are through and probably 3rd. India would need to bowl South Africa out for 147* to overhaul them on NRR.” That chase is about to start over in Christchurch.
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Ok - so as for the semi-finals... England join Australia and South Africa, and will be joined by one of India or West Indies, depending on the result in Christchurch later on today. If, as looks likely, India beat South Africa then we are looking at
South Africa v England at Wellington on Wednesday
and
Australia v India at Christchurch on Thursday.
but nothing is yet certain....
WICKET! Ritu c Cross b Davies 11 (Bangladesh 134 all out) England win by 100 runs
48th over : Bangladesh 134 all out (Jahanara 3) An over-pitched ball from Davies is cover-carved by Ritu for four, before she shovels to mid-off and that is that!
47th over : Bangladesh 129-9 ( Ritu 7, Jahanara 2) Dean whizzes through another.
46th over : Bangladesh 128-9 ( Ritu 7, Jahanara 1) We glance at the England team who look as if they’ve all been put in cold storage. Katherine Brunt, incidentally, is no-where to be seen and has been off the field for two thirds of this innings.
India have finished 274-7 over in Christchurch. I will be getting back to you on the semi-finals, belatedly, too much happening!
WICKET! Fahima run-out 0 (Bangladesh 128-8)
Bangladesh fly for a quick single, Wyatt flings the ball in to Jones, who takes it a foot above the stumps but whips the bails off and Fahima is out by a nose.
45th over : Bangladesh 127-8 ( Ritu 7, Fahima 0) Dean finishes a productive over. On comms, Alex Hartley points out that if Dean pockets the last two wickets, she’ll have an international five-fer before Sophie Ecclestone.
WICKET! Nahida b Dean 0 (Bangladesh 127-8)
Yorked! Nahida can’t get bat on a straight one and the stumps are coconut shied.
WICKET! Lata c Cross b Dean 30 (Bangladesh 126-7)
An emboldened Lata goes big but can only slop the ball to Cross at mid-on. Sweep to disaster in this game.
44th over : Bangladesh 126-6 ( Lata 30, Ritu 7) With 109 need off 36 balls this is all rather a formality, but Lata looking impressively frisky with the bat.
43rd over : Bangladesh 122-6 ( Lata 28, Ritu 5) A couple of runs off the smiling Dean.
“Hi Tanya, just to say hi from Bahia! Got home now after a good night dancing to some great samba... just caught up with the score. All will be well right? Am not even gonna talk about the boys, the girls are gonna do it, aren’t they? Beijos Cressida”
Cressida, is Bahia, northern Brazil? One day I’ll come dancing in the small hours to the great samba with you. In the mean time, rest those dancing feet.
42nd over : Bangladesh 121-6 ( Lata 28, Ritu 4) A sudden glut for Bangladesh, and Lata, as two boundaries come off Davies over: a cut and a lofted drive which beats a stodgy jam roly-poly bit of fielding on the rope.
41st over : Bangladesh 112-6 ( Lata 20, Ritu 3) Knight whips through an over, and gets away with a full toss.
40th over : Bangladesh 108-6 ( Lata 17, Ritu 2) The boundary shackles are broken, as Lata pulls Davies to the rope. A vague run-out chance, but the throw isn’t pin-point and Ritu gets back.
39th over : Bangladesh 102-6 ( Lata 12, Ritu 1) The game slip-slides away.
WICKET! Salma c Davies b Knight 2 (Bangladesh 101-6)
Yet another top-edged sweep, yet another catch for Davies!
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38th over : Bangladesh 101-5 ( Lata 12, Salma 1) Ecclestone finishes her sublime spell with a maiden and figures of 10-4-15-3.
37th over : Bangladesh 101-5 ( Lata 12, Salma 1) Five pinched singles off Knight.
36th over : Bangladesh 96-5 (Lata 9, Salma 0) Tis Ecclestone, doing what Ecclestone does: long sleeves, flash of cream across her nose and... yes... another wicket! She currently has 3-15.
“Greetings from sunny Wellington! Very much enjoying my first ever Women’s ODI today, especially the way it seems to be going. Bangladesh are running out of time and ideas. Jones doing an exceptional job standing up to the stumps for Davies.
“Do we know yet which teams play at which venue in the semis? Hoping to come back on Wednesday to see England at the Basin but websites are being very coy about how it all shakes out!”
You lucky thing, Ed Kay - looks like a great atmosphere. As far as I know the semi-finals look like this (to be continued...)
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WICKET! Jota c Davies b Ecclestone 22 (Bangladesh 96-5)
A top-edged sweep swooped and held at short-fine leg by a smiling Davies
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35th over : Bangladesh 95-4( Joty 22, Lata 8) A mere single from Knight as the players gather for the last DRINKS break o the match. I think we can safely say England have won this game as Bangladesh plump for batting out the overs rather than risk-taking.
34th over : Bangladesh 94-4( Joty 22, Lata 7)
33rd over : Bangladesh 91-4( Joty 22, Lata 4) Heather Knight twirls her arm over, the wind buffeting her long-sleeved jumper. Tap, tap, tap, Bangladesh bundle through their singles as the dog side-eyes me for accidentally kicking her.
“Just trying to wake you up from Brisbane,” bellows Evelyn Williams, “where I’m following the OBO while preparing to go to an NRL game (Queensland derby - Broncos v Cowboys). Good time for us to watch the cricket but sometimes other sports interfere.”
Enjoy! And thanks for the ear tweak, my eyelids are definitely struggling tonight.
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31st over: Bangladesh 87-4( Joty 20, Lata 1) A fistful of runs off Dean.
‘Hi Tanya,” Finbar Anslow, hello! “How are you doing, have woken up impossibly early having foolishly volunteered to help with the breakfast at a local boarding school, have also been fiendishly robbed of another hour’s sleep by some faceless beauracrat; please give me some good news.”
I hope you are rewarded with a beautiful dawn and freshly-brewed coffee. Good news, you say? In this tainted world, the best I can come up with is that England are going to make the semi-finals, having picked their campaign out of the dust. Shall we ignore events in Grenada?
30th over: Bangladesh 81-4( Joty 16, Lata 0) Lovely bowling by Davies, justly rewarded as Bangladesh start to slip and slide.
WICKTE! Rumana b Davies 6 (Bangladesh 81-4)
Rumana flings the bat and gets only an inside edge onto the stumps. An offcutter to smooch to.
29th over: Bangladesh 78-3 ( Joty 16, Rumana 4) I love New Zealand grounds - cricket perfection. Kids running around on the grass, friends picnicking while chewing the cud.
28th over: Bangladesh 76-3 ( Joty 15, Rumana 3) Just a single from Davies’s over at idyllic, green, green Wellington
27th over: Bangladesh 75-3 ( Joty 14, Rumana 3)) A wicket for Dean and then a small flurry of runs as Joty flings the back and edges behind. Mine eyes are heavy - if you’re out there, do drop me a mail for a chat about this and that.
WICKET! PInky c Sciver b Dean 11 (Bangladesh 70-3)
Step and drive to mid-on, where Sciver is lurking.
26th over: Bangladesh 69-2 (Pinky 11, Joty 11) Davies, in for the rested Shrubsole, hair tied back in a high ponytail, bounds in: a wide and three runs through mid-wicket and fine-leg. Some helpful confirmation from the radio - whichever of India or England win their game (assuming they do) by a bigger margin will avoid Australia in the semis.
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25th over: Bangladesh 65-2 (Pinky 8, Joty 11) Joty sweeps a laggardly leg-side ball from Dean for four, and repeats off the last ball, with the same result.
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24th over: Bangladesh 57-2 (Pinky 8, Joty 3) Freya Davies has a bowl in her first competitive game since February 8. Short steps, like a horse dancing, as she approaches the crease. Five dots, and just a couple off the last ball as Pinky tipples her off her pads.
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23rd over: Bangladesh 55-2 (Pinky 6, Joty 3) Dean in her sunglasses zips through another over, and a watchful Bangladesh pick up four singles.
22nd over: Bangladesh 51-2 (Pinky 4, Joty 1) An Ecclestone maiden, as Pinky edges just short of Knight at slip.
21st over: Bangladesh 51-2 (Pinky 4, Joty 1) Knight throws the ball to young Charlie Dean and Bangladesh are characteristically cautious. A single here, a single there, dib-dab as the run-rate disappears sky-ward.
20th over: Bangladesh 49-2 (Pinky 3, Joty 0) Pinky picks up a couple through point, but another smashing over from Ecclestone: England’s not-at-all secret, but highly effective weapon.
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WICKET! Shamima c Cross b Ecclestone 23 (Bangladesh 47-2)
Scoreboard pressure gnaws away at Shamima who throws the bat at Ecclestone but only sends the ball up and to Cross at mid-off.
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19th over: Bangladesh 47-1 (Pinky 1, Shamima 23) At this stage, the TV stats tell us, England were 68-2. A better over for Bangladesh though, as they pick up five, with Shamima swinging for glory, but not making the rope as the balls slows before the rope.
18th over: Bangladesh 42-1 (Pinky 0, Shamima 19) A wicket maiden for Ecclestone, as she collects her 12th wicket of the World Cup and they pause for drinks.
WICKET! Supta b Ecclestone 23 (Bangladesh 42-1)
Skids off that shiny pitch and through the defences
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17th over: Bangladesh 42-0 (Supta 23, Shamima 19) Another boundary as Shamima throws the kitchen sink at Cross and the ball flies over mid-wicket and over the rope.
16th over: Bangladesh 37-0 (Supta 22, Shamima 15) Shot of the innings as Shamima shimmies down to Ecclestone and picks up and hits for four over mid-on. Four beautiful balls follow with Shamima lucky not to be snaffled and on her way.
15th over: Bangladesh 33-0 (Supta 22, Shamima 11) I run to the kitchen to find something -anything- to eat and return, disappointingly, with a hastily-grabbed bag of Krisprolls. Just in time to see Cross collect four from a thick edge though the slips.
14th over: Bangladesh 29-0 (Supta 18, Shamima 11) Shamima defends Ecclestone, then misses a sweep, mistimes a hit over midwicket and returns to first gear.Another maiden.
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13th over: Bangladesh 29-0 (Supta 18, Shamima 11) Cross fiddles with her hair and bounds in, all sports’ captain enthusiasm. Only a couple of singles and Bangladesh are at risk of becoming marooned here.
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12th over: Bangladesh 27-0 (Supta 17, Shamima 10) The first drop of the innings as Danni Wyatt sprints in at deep square to pick up Shamima’s top-edged sweep, but fluffs it uncharacteristically, I think it flies off her thumb. Ecclestone turns pensively.
11th over: Bangladesh 23-0 (Supta 17, Shamima 8) A bustling Cross, moves through her first over without incident.
10th over: Bangladesh 23-0 (Supta 16, Shamima 7) Ladies and gentlemen, we have spin. Ecclestone, in sunglasses and long-sleeves has the ball, long blond plait creeping down her back. Shamima picks up a couple from a top-edged sweep and that’s the end of the power play with England well on top.
9th over: Bangladesh 20-0 (Supta 15, Shamima 5) Shamima is batting like a woman nervously prodding the long grass for snakes. Another maiden for Brunt folded neatly and tucked into her trouser pocket.
8th over: Bangladesh 20-0 (Supta 15, Shamima 5) Suddenly delicious for Bangladesh, as Supta on-drives and square-drives for four in successive balls as Sciver over-pitches.
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7th over: Bangladesh 12-0 (Supta 7, Shamima 5) The pitch is mirror shiny, the sky blue and the cool wind running in behind Katherine Brunt, who serves up another maiden.
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6th over: Bangladesh 12-0 (Supta 7, Shamima 5) Ooof, a nasty top edge into Shamima’s grill as she tries to pull Sciver but miscues. The physio runs out and does the usual checks and all is ticked off to carry on.
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5th over: Bangladesh 11-0 (Supta 7, Shamima 4)Brunt has ants in her pants this afternoon, fizzing with aggression as she rattles along. Just a couple of runs from her over as Bangladesh start most sedately.
4th over: Bangladesh 9-0 (Supta 5, Shamima 4) Over in Christchurch, India are making hay - 91 for one after 15 overs, though Shafali Verma has just been run out for 53. Should India win at a suitable clip, they can overtake England’s net run-rate and England could find themselves facing Australia in the semi-finals. Sciver rattles through a second maiden.
3rd over: Bangladesh 9-0 (Supta 5, Shamima 4) A maiden from Brunt, marred by a strangely aggressive throw from Brunt to Supta after her fifth ball, which a surprised Supta blocks away. Brunt is suitably chastised by the umpire.
2nd over: Bangladesh 9-0 (Supta 5, Shamima 4) Sciver gets the new ball at the other end, in the absence of Shrubsole who has been rested. The win predictor hands England a whopping 94 per cent chance as Sciver is on the money straight away.
1st over: Bangladesh 5-0 (Supta 4, Shamima 1)Bangladesh start with the dodgiest of singles but Dunkley uncharacteristically freezes in the covers and throws to the wrong end so a dead-cert run out becomes a just-in run. Brunt’s final ball is shimmied into the leg side for four.
Right, here we go. Katherine Brunt has the ball and we’re off.
Thanks Jim and welcome to British Summer Time! England have celebrated in pretty good time- my hunch says 235 is too many for Bangladesh, admirably though they stuck to their task. Admittedly, my hunch has been wrong before. Win this, remember, and England are through to the semi-finals.
That’s it from me. I’ve just glanced at the clock and become very confused by the clocks whizzing forward an hour. The brilliant Tanya Aldred is here to take you through Bangladesh’s chase - if England can stop them hauling down the target of 235 runs then the semi-finals await.
Thanks for your company, goodbye!
Here’s some interval reading on the star of England’s innings:
Really happy to see Dunkley sticking at it today. Spoke to her before #CWC22 for @guardian_sport - "playing fearlessly" is the Dunkley Brand.https://t.co/IYCd4HKlhx
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) March 27, 2022
Vital runs from @dunkleysophia!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 27, 2022
Scorecard: https://t.co/RFf2n0JB9U#CWC22 pic.twitter.com/7eo9YMhsT7
50th over: England 234-6 (Brunt 24, Ecclestone 17)
The last ball of the innings brings the first six for England! Sophie Ecclestone getting a good contact on a swipe into the leg side. England finish strongly but credit to Bangladesh who bowled and fielded well and kept to their task admirably. Game on!
49th over: England 221-6 (Brunt 21, Ecclestone 6) One over to go, England more or less throwing the Belfast at everything.
Wicket! Dunkley st Nigar Sultana b Salma Khatun 67
End of a highly impressive innings. Dunkley trots down the wicket to heave one away into the leg side but misses the ball and is out by acres as Sultana swishes off the bails. The young batter has got England into a solid position with that knock.
48th over: England 214-6 (Brunt 20, Ecclestone 2)
47th over: England 210-5 (Dunkley 67, Brunt 18) Dunkley on the attack once more, she rocks back and pulls for four. Another fruitful over for England is worth nine runs to the total.
46th over: England 201-5 (Dunkley 60, Brunt 16) 14 scrappy runs from the over! Mis-cued hoicks, mis-timed drives and misfortune for the bowler as a series of edges fly away.
45th over: England 187-5 (Dunkley 54, Brunt 8) England pick up seven off the over. Five to go - what can they get up to here? Anything 230 or above would help them breathe a bit easier when they take the field.
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44th over: England 180-5 (Dunkley 50, Brunt 5) Fifty for Sophia Dunkley! She’s played a gem of an innings here. She gets there with another drive to the cover fence and a well judged single. Well batted!
43rd over: England 172-5 (Dunkley 44, Brunt 3) Katherine Brunt is the new batter. This is definitely worth a read:
Wicket! Jones ct Salma Khatun b Lata Mondal 31 (England 168-5)
Gone this time though! Jones leans back on a drive and is caught at cover.
42nd over: England 168-4 (Jones 31, Dunkley 44) Drop! Jones gets a meaty edge to a wide-ish ball from Nahida but the keeper can’t cling on stood up to the stumps.
41st over: England 167-4 (Jones 30, Dunkley 44) Back to medium-pace as Jahanara returns to the attack. Amy Jones drives her on the up through the covers for four! Shot of the day for my moolah. Dunkley then finds the fence with a powerfully struck drive. 12 from the over, England on the move.
40th over: England 155-4 (Jones 25, Dunkley 37) Four off Salma’s seventh over. Big final ten overs. England have a chance to go through the gears here with six wickets still in hand.
39th over: England 151-4 (Jones 24, Dunkley 34) Shot! Dunkley launches a drive over the fielders and holds the pose. If you can’t get through ‘em... go over ‘em. Singles worked off the rest.
Fifty-partnership for Jones and Dunkley. 150 up for England.
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38th over: England 143-4 (Jones 22, Dunkley 28) Just a couple from it, Dunkley drives powerfully a couple of times but finds the fielder on both occasions.
37th over: England 141-4 (Jones 21, Dunkley 27) Seven from the over, this pair beginning to up the intent slightly, rotating the strike well.
36th over: England 134-4 (Jones 19, Dunkley 24) Salma Khatun is back into the attack, Dunkley manages to back-cut her away for four. The youngster is playing another meaningful innings here.
35th over: England 129-4 (Jones 18, Dunkley 18) Roly-poly-ever-so-slowly. Just a single to Amy Jones.
34th over: England 128-4 (Jones 17, Dunkley 18) Three taken from Rumana’s over. Lydia Greenway on comms wants Dunkley and Jones to keep rotating strike until at least 40 overs before having a dart.
Bangladesh have bowled very few bad balls this entire tournament. It’s the thing they do very well. And it’s very impressive.
— daniel norcross (@norcrosscricket) March 26, 2022
33rd over: England 125-4 (Jones 16, Dunkley 18) Buzzers! Dunkley picks up a bonus few runs thanks to some sloppy backing-up straight away after drinks. One-becomes-three as the Spice Girls didn’t sing.
32nd over: England 121-4 (Jones 15, Dunkley 15) Drinks. Single to each batter off the new bowler, leg-spinner Rumana Ahmed. 18 overs to go and England need to finish strongly in the last third of their innings. It’s been tough going so far. Bangladesh have been impressive.
Getting 200 from here won't be straightforward...
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) March 26, 2022
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31st over: England 119-4 (Jones 14, Dunkley 14) Dunkley releases the pressure valve ever so slightly with a lofted drive over mid-on for four. Shot! Better over for England with seven taken from it. Ritu Moni finishes with 1-36 from her ten overs.
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30th over: England 108-4 (Jones 11, Dunkley 10) There have been 105 dots so far in the innings and just the six boundaries. It’s been another constriction job by Bangladesh. 20 overs to go.
This is one key difference between England and Australia - Australia wouldn't be concerned about being 100 for 4, because they'd know they had Gardner & McGrath (& etc) in their back pocket. #CWC22
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) March 26, 2022
29th over: England 108-4 (Jones 10, Dunkley 7) Just a single to Dunkley.
🚨MILESTONE🚨
— Female Cricket #CWC22 (@imfemalecricket) March 26, 2022
Salma Khatun becomes just the 2nd 🇧🇩Bangladeshi bowler to complete 50 ODI Wickets ✨#CWC22 #ENGvBAN pic.twitter.com/gsoH1Oiezm
28th over: England 107-4 (Jones 10, Dunkley 6) Sophia Dunkley sweeps for four. Two new batters at the crease and at the risk of a JINX they both look in good knick, reading the pace of the pitch well and playing their shots confidently.
27th over: England 100-4 (Jones 9, Dunkley 0)
England are four down in Wellington!
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 26, 2022
Fahima Khatun claims Nat Sciver lbw for 40 and #TeamEngland are 100/4 (27) #CWC22 pic.twitter.com/of1OC3aiJl
Wicket! Sciver lbw b Fahima Khatun 40
Sweep for four by Sciver. Welcome boundary. England’s first since the 17th. Amy Jones then makes it another with a fantastic in-to-out drive through the covers. BUT then Nat Sciver is given out on review! WOW. It looked innocuous, Sciver was down the track and looking to flick away but she missed the ball and Bangladesh review more in hope... but three reds and it is whoops of delight for the fielding side. Sciver can’t believe it. She shakes her head as she departs for the hutch.
26th over: England 96-4 (Jones 5, Dunkley 0)
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25th over: England 86-2 (Sciver 35, Jones) Wicket maiden for Ritu Moni. She has 1-24 from seven overs. Amy Jones is the new batter. we’re halfway through. Cagey. Cautious. Can England creep to a par score?
Wicket! Beaumont ct Fahima Khatun b Ritu Moni 33 (England 86-3)
Call me Nostrajamus... Beaumont tried to go aerial but her bottom hand comes off the bat and she plinks to cover. 69 balls for her 33, a patient but largely frustrating knock for the opener.
24th over: England 86-2 (Beaumont 33, Sciver 35) Three singles. Get the feeling Beaumont is starting to get frustrated here. She keeps finding the fielders.
23rd over: England 83-2 (Beaumont 31, Sciver 34) No fireworks but five singles.
4.5 an over from here will get them to 200 odd which should be enough but there wouldn’t have been this stress if they’d BOWLED FIRST.
— daniel norcross (@norcrosscricket) March 26, 2022
22nd over: England 78-2 (Beaumont 28, Sciver 32) Four singles, England happy to cautiously compile. As an aside - Bangladesh have never chased more than 211 runs in a fifty over match.
21st over: England 74-2 (Beaumont 26, Sciver 30) A late, teasingly late cut by Sciver, so late she basically glided it out of the keeper’s gloves. She has finesse to go with the power and will need all of it on this slightly stodgy wicket.
20th over: England 70-2 (Beaumont 25, Sciver 27) Nearly a run out! A quick single results in Tammy Beaumont on the turf enacting a full length dive for her ground. It would have been close, as it happens Nahida missed the stumps after she’d gathered the ball at the non-strikers end.
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19th over: England 68-2 (Beaumont 24, Sciver 26) Sciver goes for a big yahoooo into the leg side, the ball goes soaring and swirling in the wind... and lands safe.
18th over: England 64-2 (Beaumont 23, Sciver 23) England happy to nudge and nurdle. Bangladesh happy for them to do so.
17th over: England 60-2 (Beaumont 21, Sciver 22) The BIG shot does come! Nat Sciver drives over the top for four. Lovely, she kept her shape and was always in control. There’s a couple of singles too but Ritu gets out of the over with three dots.
16th over: England 54-2 (Beaumont 20, Sciver 17) Still no boundaries coming for England, there’s a slight sense of frustration creeping in, especially for Nat Sciver. Wonder if a big shot is in the offing. That’s exactly want Bangladesh want of course.
15th over: England 51-2 (Beaumont 18, Sciver 16) Fifty up for England. Both batters are just struggling to get used to the pace of the wicket. The ball isn’t coming on, especially as Ritu Moni is just placing it on a length, stump to stump. Stifling stuff.
14th over: England 47-2 (Beaumont 16, Sciver 14) Drinks. A cagey first installment of this game. Someone is going to take it by the scruff of the neck in the next hour or so. Time for a brew.
13th over: England 44-2 (Beaumont 15, Sciver 12) Just a single off Ritu’s first. Bit of a plod so far for England, they are going at 3.38 runs per over.
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12th over: England 43-2 (Beaumont 15, Sciver 11) England can’t break the shackles. Ritu Moni is going to float down some medium pacers with the keeper stood up to the stumps.
11th over: England 39-2 (Beaumont 14, Sciver 8) Just a couple from the over. 19 year old left-arm spinner Nahida Akter is coming into the attack.
10th over: England 37-2 (Beaumont 13, Sciver 7) Powerplay done and dusted. Sciver looks busy, cutting and driving to pick up five from the over. The suns is fully out now in Wellington, so that’s something.
9th over: England 32-2 (Beaumont 12, Sciver 3) Beaumont picks up two with a well placed clip through mid-wicket. She’s been consistent in this World Cup without yet posting a match defining score. Today Tammy eh?
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8th over: England 30-2 (Beaumont 10, Sciver 3) Two early wickets gone for England then, that won’t settle the jitters. Nat Sciver is the new batter and she’s into her work with a single to fine leg and a whip off the pads for two.
Wicket! Knight ct Nigar Sultana b Salma Khatun
The captain is gone! Caught by her opposite number behind the stumps. Salma Khatun bowled her the doosra and it was too close too cut, a spike on the snicko betrays Knight and she has to trudge off.
7th over: England 24-1 (Beaumont 9, Knight 4) Just a couple from a Knight sweep. Bangladesh bowling tidily, keeping the pressure on England.
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Another tough start for England, who have the lowest average opening partnership of all teams in the World Cup!
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) March 26, 2022
England 20-1 (Beaumont 9*, Knight 1*)
📻 Listen on @BBCSounds and follow live ⬇️#BBCCricket #CWC22 #ENGvBAN
6th over: England 20-1 (Beaumont 9, Knight 4) Cat and mouse stuff from Salma and Tammy Beaumont, the batter looking to attack but the bowler landing the ball on a dime. A paddle to the vacant ‘45 area brings a couple. The pitch looks a bit two-paced, Nasser reckons a score of 220 would be decent.
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5th over: England 18-1 (Beaumont 7, Knight 1) Skipper Knight is at the crease early again. She’s off the mark immediately with a flick to mid-wicket for a leisurely single.
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WICKET! Wyatt ct Fahima Khatun b Jahanara Alam 6 (England 16-1)
Gone! England lose Wyatt - scything in the air to point and the catch is taken! England remain the only side in the tournament not to post an opening partnership of fifty so far in the tournament.
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4th over: England 14-0 (Beaumont 7, Wyatt 6) Tight over from Salma, just a Wyatt single off it.
@Jimbo_Cricket Can you clear something up? Can England win, but not qualify, is India get ahead on NRR when they play SA later? And, equally, lose but qualify...?
— Paul Cockburn (@PaulInPorirua) March 26, 2022
England will go through with a win. How they do it, net run-rate wise could affect who they end up playing in the semis, with obviously Australia the side to avoid. Whoever finishes in fourth place will face Meg Lanning and co. At the moment it could be England, India or, if one of those two lose today, West Indies.
Never been more nervous for 2 matches I’m not playing in 🙈 #ENGvBAN #SAvIND #CWC22
— Hayley Matthews (@MyNameIs_Hayley) March 26, 2022
3rd over: England 13-0 (Beaumont 7, Wyatt 5) A nicely timed push for two through the covers from Beaumont brings the only runs from the over.
2nd over: England 11-0 (Beaumont 5, Wyatt 5) Salma Khatun’s spin. Salma starts with four dots before she drops short and Wyatt pounces to carve her square for four.
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1st over: England 7-0 (Beaumont 5, Wyatt 1) Beaumont nudges one into leg to get England’s cause underway. Jahanara struggles with her run up slightly as she did in the windy conditions against Australia. It looks a lot brighter and less blustery in Wellington today. Wyatt gets off the mark with a single too. Four! Beaumont drives through cover for the first boundary of the game. England are up ‘n’ runnin.
Danni Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont take guard on this used Wellington wicket. Jahanara Alam has the ball in hand. Let’s play!
The players head out for the anthems. There’s just about enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of trousers, as my ol’ Ma would say. No idea either, she lives in landlocked Derbyshire.
Nasser says it is “cloudy, windy and cold” in Wellington.
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) March 26, 2022
Speaking of Nasser...
England: Tammy Beaumont, Danielle Wyatt, *Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver, +Amy Jones, Sophia Dunkley, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Charlotte Dean, Freya Davies.
Bangladesh: Sharmin Akhter, Shamima Sultana, Fargana Hoque, *+Nigar Sultana, Rumana Ahmed, Ritu Moni, Lata Mondal, Salma Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Jahanara Alam.
Two changes to the XI as Dean & Davies come in for Lamb & Shrubsole!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 26, 2022
We win the toss and will bat first.#CWC22
England win the toss...
They’ll have a bat
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the night of nights for England’s female cricketers. A win against Bangladesh, who incidentally they have never met before in 50 over cricket, will see them grab a spot in the semi-finals.
It’s been a topsy-turvy campaign by England. They were gaping down the barrel of an early World Cup Exit after three defeats at the start of the tournament, ever since then it’s been pressure on - effectively playing elimination cricket in every match since.
Heather Knight will be desperately hoping that her side’s 2022 World Cup journey in New Zealand continues to go the way of the tortoise and the hare. That their ugly duckling early performances of dropped catches and wayward bowling continue to transform into something swan-like as the competition reaches the sharp end. Lose against Bangladesh today though and it will be Goodnight, Moon.
The signs are promising, some of those who had been having a ‘quieter’ time of it have stepped up. Danni Wyatt was in the runs and Katherine Brunt the wickets in the defeat of Pakistan. Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Nat Sciver and Sophia Dunkley have all performed consistently, so to the skipper herself.
“Everyone is peaking at the right time going into this game and then hopefully the semi-finals… it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” declared opener Tammy Beaumont in the run up to today’s match at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
They won’t be taking Bangladesh lightly. Nigar Sultana’s side have beaten Pakistan and pushed both West Indies and India close. They nearly pulled off the shock of the tournament at a blustery Basin Reserve just a couple of days ago, reducing the unbeaten Aussies to 70-5 chasing a tricksy target of 135. If they’d been more proactive with the bat earlier on the piece then they could have pulled off a spectacular upset. They have a spin contingent that could damage England, especially with all the pressure on pale blue shoulders. I predict a bum-squeaker.
Play starts at 10pm GMT/11 AM local time.
Jim here with the call for the first half before Tanya takes over in the wee small hours. I’ll be back shortly with news of the toss and the teams. As ever do get in touch with your musings and mirth.
