Women’s T20 WC 2026: Bangladesh beat Netherlands by 6 wickets
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Birmingham: Bangladesh began their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing six-wicket victory over the Netherlands at Edgbaston on Sunday, powered by a brilliant half-century from opener Juairiya Ferdous.
Chasing a target of 140, Bangladesh started cautiously as both openers focused on preserving their wickets against disciplined Dutch bowling. The team managed only eight runs in the first two overs as the Netherlands kept the pressure on.
Ferdous broke the shackles in the third over with two boundaries to ease the pressure. She received a major reprieve soon after when Robine Rijke dropped a catch, and the opener immediately made the most of the opportunity by smashing two more boundaries to put Bangladesh in control.
While Ferdous played the aggressive role, her opening partner Dilara Akter provided stability from the other end. The pair combined effectively to give Bangladesh a strong start, reaching 47 without loss at the end of the powerplay.
Ferdous continued her attacking display and brought up her half-century off just 32 balls with a huge six off Caroline de Lange in the eighth over. However, her entertaining knock ended on the very next delivery when De Lange dismissed her. Ferdous scored 50 runs, including seven fours and two sixes.
The Netherlands capitalised on the breakthrough as De Lange dismissed Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana for a duck off the next ball, leaving Bangladesh two wickets down quickly.
Bangladesh faced another setback in the 11th over when Silver Siegers bowled Dilara Akter for 26 off 23 balls. Sobhana Mostary then departed after being run out while attempting a quick single, reducing Bangladesh to 85/4.
However, Sharmin Akhter remained composed and guided the chase alongside Shorna Akter. The duo added an unbeaten 56-run partnership for the fifth wicket in just 43 balls to take Bangladesh over the line.
Sharmin remained unbeaten on 37 with four boundaries, while Shorna finished not out on 18 and sealed the win with a six. Bangladesh reached 141/4 in 19.1 overs to register a winning start.
Earlier, the Netherlands, after choosing to bat first, struggled to build momentum against Bangladesh’s bowling attack.
Opener Phebe Molkenboer attempted to accelerate the innings with two consecutive boundaries in the second over but was dismissed by Marufa Akter after edging a delivery behind to wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana.
Bangladesh continued to apply pressure, with Marufa troubling captain Babette de Leede through disciplined bowling, while Heather Siegers tried to keep the scoreboard moving with attacking shots.
The Netherlands suffered another blow in the fifth over when Heather Siegers was dismissed for 16 off 13 balls after edging Fariha Trisna behind. The Dutch side reached 40/2 at the end of the powerplay but struggled to establish partnerships as wickets continued to fall.
Sterre Kalis was bowled by Rabeya Khan, while Robine Rijke’s brief contribution of 13 ended when Marufa took a sharp return catch. Sanya Khurana also fell cheaply, scoring just one run.
Amid the regular dismissals, De Leede anchored the innings with a responsible half-century. She rotated the strike well and found boundaries at crucial moments to help the Netherlands stay competitive.
The captain brought up her fifty off 45 balls but was run out for 50 while attempting a second run. Her innings included five boundaries. Late contributions from Iris Zwilling (13) and unbeaten Silver Siegers (10) helped the Netherlands finish on 139/8 from their 20 overs.
Brief Scores: Netherlands 139/8 in 20 overs (Babette de Leede 50, Heather Siegers 16; Marufa Akter 2-31, Ritu Moni 1-17) lost to Bangladesh 141/4 in 19.1 overs (Juairiya Ferdous 50, Sharmin Akhter 37; Caroline de Lange 2-27, Silver Siegers 1-24) by six wickets.
With IANS inputs