Australia Vs Bangladesh Women T20 World Cup Played at Manuka Oval, Canberra.
Australia 1/189 (Alyssa Healey 83, Beth Monney 81*) beat Bangladesh 103/9 ( Fargana Haque 36 , Megan Schutt 3/27 , Jonassen 2/17) by 86 Runs.
Highest T20 score 189 /1 conceded, defeat by widest margin 86 recorded, all happened to pathetic looking Bangladesh women cricket team yesterday at Manuka Oval yesterday in World T20 match.
In matter of experience, playing facilities and exposure to international cricket Bangladeshi women cricketers are still at least a decade lagging behind to much superior Australians. It was for the first time girls from Bangladesh played against Australia. They appeared overawed by the situation. Right from the start when Australian openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney started their innings Bangladeshi bowlers lost their way. Aussie batsmen ruthlessly punished clueless bowling of Bangladesh. Fielding looked ragged as catches were dropping and fielders were leaking runs at random.
The opening pair smashed quick fire 151 runs when Alyssa looking good for a century fellow to captain Salma. Bangladesh was huffing and puffing at that stage as bowlers had no plan B for containing all guns blazing Aussies.
However, some controlled bowling by Rumana could restrict the score to 189/1. Monney remained not out 81 and Healey got out scoring 83. Healey and Mooney set a new Australian women T20 opening partnership record of 151 eclipsing the record of 147 by Kate Blackwell and Karen Rolton in 2005. Porous Bangladesh fielding saw as many as four catches dropped.
It was well beyond Bangladesh reach in any case. Still admirers thought Bangladesh would bat responsibly to give a good account of themselves . But against top quality Australian attack Bangladesh batsmen looked struggling for survival. Pace bowler Megan Schutt removed both the openers early creating panic in the Bangladesh camp.
However Nigar Sultana (19) and Farghana Haque (36) tried to bat sensibly putting 53 runs in the third wicket. But once they fell wickets fell like pack of cards. Three wickets fell in the last over as Bangladesh finished 103/9 losing by huge 86 runs. Schutt took 3/21 and Jonassen got 2/17.
Bangladesh girls must forget the nightmare of the match and start fresh tomorrow against New Zealand at Junction Oval, Melbourne.
BDST: 1201 HRS, FEB 28, 2020
AH
