A two-hour rain delay at the Basin Reserve reduced the contest to 43 overs a side

Bangladesh Women 135 for 6 (Mondal 33, Jonassen 2-13, Gardner 2-20) vs Australia Women

The first-ever ODI between Australia and Bangladesh got off to a damp start as a two-hour rain delay in Wellington reduced the game to a 43-overs-a-side contest. Once the on-field action did kick off, Australia, expectedly, dictated terms and limited tournament debutants Bangladesh to just 135 for 6 at windswept Basin Reserve.

After opting to bowl, the Australian attack, in which Darcie Brown replaced the injured Ellyse Perry, persisted with lines away from the body and hardly on the stumps for the best part of the first ten overs. The ploy allowed Bangladesh to remain unhurried in their approach and keep the scoreboard ticking with minimal risks. Opener Sharmin Akhter struck a confident 56-ball 24 and played by far the best stroke of the innings: a cracking pull that sent Schutt’s length ball for four in the fifth over.

The windy conditions, and the variety in Australia’s attack was unlike anything Bangladesh had faced at the highest level. But their openers, Akhter and left-hander Murshida Khatun, weathered the challenge early on, adding 33, the second-highest opening stand against Australia in this World Cup.

First-change Gardner broke the partnership in her second over as Khatun swept one straight to Rachael Haynes at short backward square-leg. No. 3 Fargana Hoque became the first Bangladeshi woman to score 1000 ODI runs not long after, reaching the milestone with two runs off an edge off Jonassen.

Having posted 38 for 1 in the nine-over powerplay, Bangladesh struggled to unshackle themselves from Australia’s meticulous field placements and their spinners’ efficacy despite the challenge posed by the wind. So blustery were conditions that after a point, the innings went on without bails on the stumps, though neither side looked deterred by the weather.

Bangladesh reached their first 50 runs in 90 balls and the second in 130. The slowness in approach was as much a reflection of the thrust on preserving wickets rather than scoring runs as it was of the Bangladesh middle order’s inability to work the ball around. Had it not been for Mondal’s 47-ball 36 stand with No. 7 Salma Khatun, who made a relatively quickfire 21-ball 14, Bangladesh would have struggled to post a total in excess of 120. That they played out the full allotment of 43 overs against the title favourites can only boost their confidence heading into the defence.

The playing conditions of the rain-affected game in Wellington permit only three bowlers to deliver nine overs each and two bowlers eight overs apiece. If Bangladesh are to make a contest out of this game, their spinners can be expected to be in operation early. Medium-pacers Ritu Moni and Jahanara Alam could also reap rewards in the swinging conditions.

Australia have won all their six matches so far and were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals. Bangladesh are mathematically alive in the race to the knockouts but with only one win in five games and a low bet run-rate, they are unlikely to make the semi-finals even if they defend against Australia and beat England on Sunday.