An unbeaten 79 from Heather Knight steered England to a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their Women’s World Cup match in Guwahati. Chasing a modest target of 179, England were pushed to the brink by a determined bowling attack. The four-time champions eventually secured their second consecutive win of the tournament, moving to the top of the standings thanks to a late partnership.
After being put in to bat, Bangladesh posted 178 all out. The innings was held together by Sobhana Mostary, who scored her maiden international half-century with a patient 60 from 108 balls. The scoring rate was slow for much of the innings, but a late, aggressive cameo from Rabeya Khan, who smashed an unbeaten 43 from just 27 balls, gave Bangladesh a competitive total to defend.
England’s run chase was fraught with difficulty from the start. Thanks to speedster Marufa Akter who made early inroads, while leg-spinner Fahima Khatun claimed three wickets in a spell that caused a middle-order collapse. At 103 for 6, England were in serious trouble and Bangladesh were on the verge of a historic upset, putting up the fight their captain, Nigar Sultana, had called for before the match.
The architect of England's recovery was former captain Heather Knight. She endured a challenging start to her innings, surviving three separate close calls and reviews when she was on 0, 8, and 13. After riding her luck, Knight anchored the innings, compiling a gritty 79 not out from 111 balls. Her seventh-wicket partnership of 79 with Charlie Dean , 27 not out, ultimately saw England over the line with 23 balls to spare.
The spin-friendly conditions in Guwahati played an important role throughout the match. England's spinners were highly effective, taking nine of the ten Bangladesh wickets to fall. Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with economical figures of 3 for 24 from her 10 overs, which proved crucial in restricting Bangladesh to a manageable score.
