AUSTRALIA rout BANGLADESH enroute a rousing win

ICC 10th WOMEN's WORLD CUP - Match 9 –  Australia v Bangladesh at Leeds on 17 June 2026

Result – Australia beat Bangladesh by 9 wickets
Points – Australia 2(4), Bangladesh 0(2)
Toss – Australia
Umpires – Candace La Borde, Nimali Perera, Richard Kettleborough (TV)
Player of the Match – Ellyse Perry

Match Centre Link - You can view the scorecard, watch highlights and engage more at Match Centre of ICC. The match can be accessed here. 

BANGLADESH INNINGS

TROUBLED AND IN TROUBLE
The 9th match was a contest between six time champions Australia and one of the most improved sides Bangladesh. While we didn't expect the women to match their men in upsetting Australia, I looked forward to a good fight involving the well oiled Australia and foiling capable Bangladesh. Megan Schutt, the leading wicket taker of the World Cup bowling to Juairiya Ferdous who just hit a 50 on WC debut augmented the expectations. Megan demonstrated her sharpness and gave just 3 runs. Kim Garth opened the bowling from the other end and had Dilara for duck when she mistimed a pull and left her stumps exposed. Juairiya top edged Megan's last delivery in 3rd over for the first boundary. Garth got Juairiya plumb before the stumps in her next over. BAN scorecard read 16/2 in 4. It was four and squared but no way fair and square. Sophie Molineux brought herself first change and got Sharmin LBW first ball. BAN reviewed it successfully. Two balls later, Sophie had her LBW again and Sharmin didn't bother to review this time. Kim bowled her third on trot. When Sobana flicked the 5th ball beautifully for a boundary, BAN got its only clap worthy moment. It was all Australia in power play as BAN were tottering at 22/3. Thankfully they had the experience of Nigar & Sobana

SLOW AND STEADY
Sophie bowled the 7th over to Nigar in a skipper vs skipper set up. Nigar played a good cover drive for boundary in the 4th ball. But all the other balls were dots. Ellyse was entrusted the 8th over. She removed Sobana in the 2nd ball forcing her to offer a catch to Sophie. The young Shorna Akter had a great opportunity. But Ellyse had her LBW without disturbing the scorers. Annabel was the 5th bowler of the day and just gave a single. Ellyse completed another quick over. BAN were in dire straits with score reading 33/5 in 10. Georgia Wareham bowled the 11th over and gave 4 singles to Nigar Sultana and Ritu Moni. Annabel bowled the 12th and it was another 4 run over. Alana King came in for the 13th and gave only 2 runs.  Sophie gave the exact 2 runs in 14th over as well. BAN didn't even score 50 after 14 overs. They surpassed their own lowest score in a World Cup match. Maybe Nigar & Ritu wanted to ensure that before they attack. Alana sneaked in another 4 run over. It was only in the first ball of 16th over bowled by Ellyse, BAN got to their 50. Ritu Moni celebrated it with a boundary, the 3rd in entire Bangladesh innings. BAN scorecard read 57/5 after 16 overs. With the death overs coming in, I was sure Bangladesh wouldnt cross 100 and that they would not be bowled out.

NO CHANGE IN FORTUNES
Georgia Wareham bowled the 17th and finally broke the sedate partnership. In the 3rd ball, Ritu swept one straight to Georgia Voll. Ritu got a gorgeous scoreline  - c Georgia V b Georgia W. Nahida Akter joined her skipper. Kim Garth bowled 18th and gave Nigar a boundary & Bangladesh its fourth one. Sophie Molineux bowled the penultimate over and spun the skipper contest in her favour when she had Nigar plumb before the wicket in 5th ball. Rabeya coming late swept Sophie first delivery flawlessly for BAN's 5th boundary. Annabel didn't give extras nor boundaries in the last over. She had Rabeya leg before in the penultimate ball and BAN finished at 77/8. A dismal performance by BAN batters and if the BAN bowlers could stretch the Aussie chase beyond 10th over, they can pay themselves.

AUSTRALIA INNINGS
AUSSIES AS USUAL

Georgia Voll took strike while Beth Mooney was at non striker's end. Marufa Akter charged in and had a good LBW shout in the 2nd ball and had Georgia nearly caught by the mid wicket in the 3rd ball. The first over conceded just 4 and BAN looked hungry for a fight. Beth steered a ball on the leg side to fetch the first boundary for AUS in the 2nd over bowled by Sulthana Khatun. Marufa once again started with a couple of dots. But Georgia pulled one straight over the bowler for the first sixer of the match. She slashed the next ball for a boundary over the slip cordon. Sulthana's next over witnessed a couple of boundaries, one demonstrating Georgia's power and other demonstrating Beth's placement. Marufa continued and got Beth the second ball caught by Ritu Moni when she tried to clear mid off in vain. Marufa finished the over with 3 dot balls and a boundary hit by Ellyse Perry. Nahida replaced Sulthana and Georgia found the spin comfortable as she smashed 3 boundaries. Australia were 49/1 after powerplay. They needed less than 30 in 14 overs and the interest was whether they would finish before 10 overs. Marufa came to complete her quota in the 7th over. Ellyse scooped her first ball and was luckily dropped the next ball by the bowler. Ritu Moni bowled the 8th over and she started with 4 byes. In the same over, Georgia played a brilliant drive on the back foot that sped to the boundary. Rabeya came in the 9th over and as stuck to the basics to concede just 5 runs in the over. When Nahida came to bowl the 10th over, Georgia needed 6 for a fifty and Aussies needed 4 to win. Ellyse and Georgia finished in ones and twos and AUS completed the chase in 9.3 overs. Australia completed a rout and it turned out to be a no -contest. 

Images Courtesy - ESPN Cricinfo