Former England skipper Heather Knight produced a captain’s knock to guide her team to a tense four-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Women’s Cricket World Cup at the Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.
Knight’s unbeaten 79 off 111 balls helped England chase down 178 in 46.1 overs, taking them to the top of the points table with four points — level with India but ahead on net run rate.
It could have looked better, but we are happy with the side. Before the tournament, we spoke about being gritty and resilient to get over the line. The bowlers did a great job restricting them to that total.
Spinners Set Up the Win
England’s spin quartet turned the match in their favour early. Sophie Ecclestone (3-24), Charlie Dean (2-28), Alice Capsey (2-31), and Linsey Smith (2-33) combined to bowl Bangladesh out for 178 in 49.4 overs, despite a fighting half-century from Sobhana Mostary (60 off 108 balls).
We’re lucky to have Linsey and Sophie who can bowl in the death: And the calmness that Charlie showed with the bat later was brilliant.
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana credited her team’s spirit despite the loss: “It was incredible how my girls fought till the last ball. Sobhana played a good knock, but we were 20–30 runs short on this surface.”
Mostary Fights a Lone Battle
For Bangladesh, Sobhana Mostary stood tall amid the top-order collapse. Her patient 60, laced with eight boundaries, was the only significant contribution as wickets kept tumbling around her. Rabeya Khan’s 43 not out offered late resistance, but England’s disciplined attack ensured Bangladesh never gained momentum after early strikes from Lauren Bell (1-24) and Smith, who removed skipper Nigar Sultana for a golden duck.
Early Jolts in England Chase
Bangladesh’s bowlers fought hard to make a match of it. Fahima Khatun (3-16) and Marufa Akter (2-28) reduced England to 29/2, before further strikes left them reeling at 103/6. But Knight’s experience came to the fore. She rebuilt the innings calmly, bringing up her 28th ODI half-century — the second slowest of her career — and then accelerated when needed.
Knight and Dean Seal the Deal
Knight found a dependable ally in Charlie Dean (27 not out off 56 balls) as the duo stitched an unbeaten 79-run stand for the seventh wicket to take England home.
Absolutely, she was walking off the field a couple of times. But switching on again and doing what was needed was incredible.
Knight’s composure under pressure ensured England maintained their perfect record in the tournament.
Looking Ahead
With two wins from as many matches, England now top the standings and will face Sri Lanka in Colombo on Saturday. Bangladesh, still searching for their first win, take on New Zealand in Guwahati on Friday.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 178 all out in 49.4 overs (Sobhana Mostary 60, Rabeya Khan 43*; Sophie Ecclestone 3-24, Charlie Dean 2-28, Alice Capsey 2-31)
England 182/6 in 46.1 overs (Heather Knight 79*, Nat Sciver-Brunt 32; Fahima Khatun 3-16, Marufa Akter 2-28). Result: England won by four wickets.
