BANGLADESH ENGINEER A TURN AROUND TO BEAT PAKISTAN

ICC 10th WOMEN's WORLD CUP - Match 15 – Bangladesh v Pakistan at Southampton on 20 June 2026

Result – Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 23 runs
Points – Bangladesh 2(2), Pakistan 0(0)
Toss – Bangladesh
Umpires – V.Gayathri, Jacqueline Williams, Kim Cotton (TV)
Player of the Match – Shorna Akter
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

POWER TO PAKISTAN
The 15th match was an all sub continent battle with Pakistan and Bangladesh facing each other. The two teams dressed in greens were in hunt for their green win in the World Cup. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. Dilara Akter took first strike with Juairiya at the non striker’s end. Sadia Iqbal opened the bowling for Pakistan. She started with a couple of dots. Her third ball came straight and Dilara cut it beautifully. She bowled two more dots and conceded a single to close a good 5 run over. Fatima Sana dealt double blow to Bangladesh in the 2^nd over. She had Dilara spoon a catch to Nashra at mid on and then unleashed an inswinger that caught Sharmin plumb in the front of the wicket. The double wicket maiden saw the two formidable Akters out and gave PAK a huge momentum. Sadia kept the other end tight as well conceding only 4 runs in the 3^rd over. Fatima Sana followed a 2 wicket over with a 2 run over and BAN were struggling at 11/4 after 4. Tasmia Ribab came in first change to bring pace from both ends. Tasmia struck in her 3^rd ball when Juairiya tried to pull her without power only to give Nashra another catch. Sobana was lucky to have a boundary of the first ball of the 6^th over which was more because of poor fielding than her cut shot. BAN ended the power play with 23/3. They however had the experience of Nigar Sultana and Sobana Mastry to see them through the middle overs. PAK bowlers needed to keep up the momentum.

SLOWING DOWN
Tasmia continued in the 7^th over and was unlucky as she gave away two boundaries to Nigar. The first one was a thick edge that rushed to the boundary. The second one was struck hard but Tuba couldn’t hold on properly and it went to another boundary. Nashra came in and kept Sobana at bay with 4 dots. She strayed one on the leg side and Sobana made a meat out of it with an easy boundary. Tuba came in from the other end and tossed one widishly to Sobana who cut it perfectly for a boundary. Nashra Sandhu struck in the 10^th over as she appealed for a LBW. The umpire thought it was going down the leg. But Pakistan reviewed and DRS ruled in their favour. BAN were 48/4 after 10 overs and the possibility of a hundred started looking bleak. Tuba and Nashra slipped in a quick couple of overs. Nigar finally decided to cut loose and chose Tuba. In the 13^th over, she drove one past mid off and lifted the next past mid off for two good boundaries. Nashra finished her spell and 14^th over with  another quick 4 run over. Tuba began the 15^th over well when Ritu Moni’s desperate attempt to find a boundary was converted into a catch at long on by Aliya Riaz. Nigar who seemed to read Tuba better played an authoritative cut shot to keep the boundaries ticking. Sadia replaced fellow left arm spinner Nashra and similarly stopped any extras or boundaries. BAN were 80/5 after 16 overs. With just four death overs to go, they needed to step up. There was hope with in form Nigar and the talented Shorna Akter in the crease.

SHORNA ON SONG
Shorna showed a glimpse of her potential when she belted Tasmia to the cow corner for a much needed boundary. She ran hard with a skipper and ensured 11 from the over. However Sadia bowled one straight to Nigar who reverse swept it just short of short third and Saira Jabdeen took a well judged catch. Shorna found a boundary by going inside out in the 5^th ball of the over and ensured BAN got 100 as the over ended. Tasmia Rubab came in to bowl the penultimate over. Shorna (who had got her eye in) effortlessly jabbed one between cover and point and cut one above deep backward point for a boundary. Rabeya and Shorna ran very well between the wickets and kept the score ticking. Fatima Sana came to close the innings and she kept it tight not offering extras or boundaries. Shorna hammered the last ball, a slower one of the leg side to end the innings with a boundary. Thanks to Shorna’s positive intent, BAN had a competitive total of 123 runs. PAK looked good to chase it successfully unless BAN spinners had different ideas.

PAKISTAN INNINGS

POWER TO PAKISTAN
Shorna & Marufa are the two young Akters who augur well for the future of BAN cricket. While Shorna showcased her potential with the bat, Marufa opened the second innings with a brilliant maiden over. Muneeba played out the maiden over. Sanjida came from the other end to compliment raw pace with orthodox spin. She bowled well despite her 2^nd ball just edging past Nigar for a boundary to Gull Feroza and Pakistan. Gull Feroza had a boundary in Marufa’s next over as she came down in the 3^rd ball & used the pace to flick it away for a boundary. Muneeba got into action in the next over as she danced down the track to hoist Sanjeeda over her head for the first sixer of the match. PAK were slowly clawing their way back and Rabeya who came in to close the power play conceded two boundaries to Gull. Gull was offered width in the 3^rd ball and she slashed it between point and cover for four. In the 6^th ball, she spotted the length early and swept it fine and square for another boundary. PAK enjoyed the advantage after the powerplay with the score reading 41/0. Both Muneeba & Gull had a sound footing.

THE TURNAROUND
Ritu Moni came to bowl the 7^th over and conceded 7 including a boundary to Muneeba. Nahida Akter was entrusted the 8^th over and she finally found the first wicket for BAN. She bowled short and wide and Gull cut it straight to Sobana at point. She bowled the same ball later in the over but Ayesha Zafar cut it past the fielders for a brilliant boundary. Ritu Moni rushed through the 9^th over giving away just 4 runs. Nahida returned for the 10^th over and bowled short and straight to Muneeba who pulled it straight to Sobana, this time at deep square leg. Iram Javed joined Ayesha and at end of 10^th over, PAK lost both their openers to Nahida but were coasting along at 64/2 with Ayesha & Iram looking good. Rabeya came back for the 11^th over and kept things simple and just conceded 5 runs. Sanjida turned the match on its head in the 12^th over claiming 2 wickets and giving just 2 runs. She had Ayesha in the 2^nd ball. Ayesha mistimed her sweep and I first thought she was given out caught behind. PAK went for a review and then I understood it was for LBW and DRS ruled no edge and the three dots of pitching in, impact & hitting connected. Two balls later, Aliya tried to cut her fine but got beaten and the ball crashed into her stumps. Rabeya (another young turk destined for greatness) bowled the next over brilliantly conceding just a single of the final ball. Nahida kept things tight in the 14^th over as well as she conceded just four. The required run rate and the pressure was climbing up steadily and that showed when Iram much like Ayesha mistimed her sweep and was given leg before. Rabeya was the bowler in this occasion. Rabeya made up for the last over by securing a maiden this time and a wicket maiden at that. Sanjida replaced Nahida and she had new comer Saira Jabeen edging one to short third where Rabeya took a good diving catch. At end of 16 overs, PAK were 79/6 and suddenly needed more than 10 an over. The six overs of spin by Rabeya, Sanjida and Nahida brought them from 64/2 in 10 to 79/6 in 16. Pakistan’s hopes rested on Fatima Sana who didn’t look that convincing at 6(13). It wwas also 8 overs since a boundary for PAK.

 A BRILLIANT VICTORY
Ritu Moni came in to add some pace to the proceedings and she joined the wicket taking spree having Tuba caught plumb in the front. Nashra & Fatima could just scout 5 runs in the over. Nahida started the 18^th over with a killer blow. She fired one short and straight and a frustrated Fathima heaved it over the leg side, only to find Shorna at long on. She just gave 2 runs in that over which also included a DRS review that saved Nashra. PAK needed 38 from the last 2 and their loss seemed immiment. Ritu bowled the 19^th over and didn’t concede an extra or an boundary as Nashra & Tasmia ran 8 of it. Marufa fired in the final over and conceded only 6 as BAN won by 23 runs. BAN secured a brilliant victory engineering a turnaround in their last 10 overs. PAK held the advantage in the first halves of both the innings, but BAN banged their way back in the second halves and won rather comfortably.

 Images Courtesy – ESPN Cricinfo