Key events
1st over: Bangladesh 3-0 (Shathi 1, Dilara 1) Two big chances for England. The first is a tough return catch that burst through Sciver-Brunt’s hands on her follow-through. The second was an unsuccessful review for lbw. Sciver-Brunt was convinced but it was missing Dilara’s leg stump by some distance.
Sciver-Brunt to open. A slip in place and a catcher at short extra cover.
Bangladesh’s openers are ready to go. They have a famous victory within reach.
“A few years ago you’d have thought Alice Capsey would be one of the best batters in the world by now. Just hasn’t kicked on at all.”
A bit harsh, I feel, from Kevin Wilson. Capsey is only 20. Still plenty of her time to reach her full potential.
England post 118-7
20th over: Ecclestone perhaps should have come out earlier. She crunches her first ball for six straight down the ground and then gets another two in the same area.
Jones finishes not-out on 12 but this innings was dominated by Bangladesh’s spinners after a strong opening partnership between Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge.
Will that be enough?
WICKET! Dean st Sultana b Ritu 4 (England 110-7)
Simple as! Fair play to Dean, she had no choice but to force the issue. A skip down the track is followed by a swipe across the line. She never threatened to make contact with it and Sultana, who has been faultless behind the stumps, removed the bails without fuss.
19th over: England 106-6 (Jones 11, Dean 1) It all started so well for England with Gibson swatting a long-hop over point for four. But Fuhima would have the final word as she nabbed Gibson off the outside edge. Jones lofted a couple over cover and then scampered another two.
WICKET! Gibson c Sultana v Akter 7 (England 101-6)
Gibson is gone! After getting spanked for four having dragged down a long-hop, Nahida goes fuller and forces Gibson to drive off the front foot. The England all-rounder loses her shape and can only get a fine edge on it. Sultana, standing up, makes a tough grab behind the stumps look routine.
18th over: England 97-5 (Jones 7, Gibson 3) Miserly once more from Fahima who signs off with 2-18 from her four overs. Outstanding after conceding nine runs in her first over. Between them, Jones and Gibson can only manage a single apiece.
17th over: England 95-5 (JOnes 6, Gibson 2) Marufa puts down a sitter in the deep. Jones came down the track and barely got hold of a slog across the line. Marufa was right there but couldn’t hold on, even after having a second chance after a juggle. That’s harsh on Rabeya who deserved a second scalp. Instead she closes out with 1-15 from her four overs.
16th over: England 91-5 (Jones 3, Gibson 1) Because England have their own arsenal of elite spinners this is not a lost cause just yet, but my goodness haven’t Bangladesh put up a fight! Fahima has been brilliant, teasing with flight and varied lines, she deserves that wicket – her second of the night – and concedes just four runs from that over.
WICKET! Capsey c Akter b Fahima 9 (England 90-5)
GONE! Capsey shakes her head as she departs. Her third attempt at the reverse-sweep is well timed but she couldn’t keep it down. It’s straight at Akter at bacward point who held on well above her shoulders and Fahima dances with delight.
15th over: England 87-4 (Capsey 8, Jones 2) Just two off that Ritu over. It’s as if England are batting with wet fish rather than hard-pressed blades of willow. Bangladesh are all over them. England need a big over and they need one now.
14th over: England 85-4 (Capsey 7, Jones 1) After starting with a wide down the leg-side, Rabeya, back in action, finishes strong with four dot balls. Flight and guile, Capsey has no choice but to show respect and bunt them away with soft hands. There’s even a half-chance for a caught and bowled. I’m not sure what England will get but I bet it’ll be below what they wanted at the start.
13th over: England 81-4 (Capsey 5, Jones 1) Capsey counterpunches with a sweetly timed slog sweep that explodes off the bat for four. But that is Bangladesh’s over as Wyatt-Hodge falls to a deliciously flighted Akter delivery. Jones, the new batter, is a specialist against spin and England will need her to come good here.
WICKET! Wyatt-Hodge st Sultana b Akter 41 (England 76-4)
Another one goes! And it’s the set batter. Wyatt-Hodge storms out of her crease and wafts at a ball that landed in a different postcode. Sultana could have fumbled that and still completed the stumping. Not that she did. That was clinical from the Bangladesh captain who raised both arms in triumph after dislodging the bails. England are in a bit of a hole now.
12th over: England 76-3 (Wyatt-Hodge 41, Capsey 1) Brilliant from Ritu who moved the balls both ways throughout that over. She coughed up a wide, and conceded three singles and a couple off Knight past square leg, but it was that peach of a delivery that removed England’s captain that will be replayed throughout this tournament.
WICKET! Knight b Ritu 6 (England 73-3)
Straight through her! Wobble seam on a good length and a bit of movement back off the deck finds the gap between bat and pad and rattles the stumps. Perhaps Knight was guilty of falling over her front pad, but for my money that’s just a good delivery that dragged the England skipper forward and beat her. Bangladesh are well and truly in this fight.
11th over: England 71-2 (Wyatt-Hodge 40, Knight 4) Shorna – bowling with a cap on! – is the latest spinner to twirl her arm over. They’re skiddy leg-breaks with a touch of turn and some zip off the deck. A stump-to-stump line means England’s batters can’t free the arms. Which means Wyatt-Hodge has to think out the box and she comes down the track and smacks a ball down the ground for four. That was baseballesque. Three singles and a couple dinked into a gap at extra cover add up to nine off the over.
10th over: England 62-2 (Wyatt-Hodge 33, Knight 2) Rabeya back at it. She’s got this tricky action where she bowls wrist-spin but from the front of the hand. I like it. So does Wyatt-Hodge who uses her feat and lifts an on-drive over the infield for four. But other than that there are no other runs as five dots. Miserly bowling and a much improved fielding show means it’s honours even half-way through the innings.
9th over: England 58-2 (Wyatt-Hodge 29, Knight 2) Ritu replaces Rabeya. Nibbly seamers without any pace present an awkward challenge. Wyatt-Hodge squeezes a single into the covers and Knight is off the mark with a bunt to long-on. Wyatt-Hodge’s lofted sweep has deep backward square interested for a moment but it lands short. Five singles off the over. The run rate has dropped dramatically since the powerplay.
WICKET! Sciver-Brunt lbw Fahima (England 53-1)
Massive wicket! Oh wow, this could be a huge moment in the game. Sciver-Brunt was frustrated by Fahima who was landing it on a teasing length that meant England’s top batter couldn’t work it away. Two dot-balls forced her hand as she charged out her crease and tried to flick it away to the leg side. She got nowhere near the pitch and the leg-spinner, that landed around middle and leg, kept a touch low and would have gone on to wicket the stumps. A hopeful review is lost and Bangladesh are on the march!
8th over: England 53-2 (Wyatt-Hodge 26).
7th over: England 50-1 (Wyatt-Hodge 24, Sciver-Brunt 1) England have sent their premier batter out at first drop. Perhaps to inject a bit of pace in the innings, perhaps to hold back Knight for the nurdling required in the middle overs. Either way, that’s a good start for Rabeya who picked up the breakthrough and conceded just three singles in her first over.
WICKET! Bouchier c Akter b Rabeya 23 (England 48-1)
From zero to hero! After dropping Bouchier at backward point, Rabeya has picked up the breakthrough. It’s a poor shot in truth. A drag across the line that caught the toe of the bat. It looped towards mid-on and Akter makes no mistake. Rabeya roars in delight. She’ll feel a lot better about things after that.
6th over: 47-0 (Bouchier 23, Wyatt-Hodge 22) Nahida back into the attack and Wyatt-Hodge welcomes her with a skip down the track and a lash over cover for four. A full-toss is smeared into the leg side for one before Bouchier clips a single wide of mid-on. They might not always be on the same page, but these two sure do run hard between the wickets. There’s another single down the ground from Wyatt-Hodge before Bouchier closes out the powerplay by mowing a boundary into the gap at cow corner.
5th over: 36-0 (Bouchier 18, Wyatt-Hodge 16) Bouchier counters Marufa’s in-swing by shimmying slightly and picking up a gorgeous flick over midwicket for four. Marufa then over-corrects and offers a -spank-me’ ball that’s short and wide outside the off-stump. Bouchier duly obliges with a crisp cut.
That should have been that for Bouchier who plopped a dolly to Rabeya at backward point but it was inexplicably shelled. That was a proper howler.
Two wides at the start of the over plus four singles adds up to an expensive set. England are ticking along nicely.
Guy Hornsby sums it up perfectly:
Afternoon Daniel, afternoon everyone. I’m sure England will feel firm favourites here but. Bangladesh have shown they are no pushover. Their cadre of incredibly slow bowlers presents a real challenge, and Marufa is like a young, quick Anya Shrubsole with her inswingers. We’ll need to make 2s count with the lush outfield. And have already shown a willingness to tee up some scary run outs. Game on!
Bang on, Guy. Been really impressed with Bangladesh so far. Especially Marufa who is hooping it.
4th over: 22-0 (Bouchier 8, Wyatt-Hodge 14) Fahima’s leg spin is into the attack and she continues the strangle with a ring field. Wyatt-Hodge recognises that she has to innovate and moves across her stumps and lifts a swivel-pull over square leg for the first boundary of the innings. Shen then leans into a delicious cover drive and finds the fence again with a flourishing blade.
3rd over: 13-0 (Bouchier 7, Wyatt-Hodge 6) Another chance for a run-out! These two are a bit calamitous in the middle together. They survive, thanks to a misfield in the covers, but Wyatt-Hodge was stranded half-way down the track as Bouchier was caught ball-watching. Thankfully all’s well that ends well. Marufa’s searing in-swinging yorker is well dug out by Wyatt-Hodge as she steers a single wide of point. Marufa drags her length back and Wyatt-Hodge swishes at a cut shot but misses it by a distance. Still no boundaries.
2nd over: England 11-0 (Bouchier 6, Wyatt-Hodge 5) Nahida’s slow left-arm spin opens the other end. Her first ball is a drag down which Wyatt scythes through the off-side. The slow outfield means they have to run hard and they get back for two as it’s hauled in before the rope out in the covers. Five quick singles then rotate the strike but there’s a review for a run-out at the non-striker’s end. Wyatt was home, but a direct hit would have been tight.
1st over: England 4-0 (Bouchier 2, Wyatt-Hodge 0) Immediate swing for Marufa who has it hooping into the right handers. One ball tickles Bouchier’s pad and they collect two leg-byes down to fine leg. Bouchier then makes contact and they scamper a single to mid-off. There’s a direct hit, which requires a second view, but they’re home safe and even pinch a second on the over-throw.
Boucher and Wyatt-Hodge are padded up and ready to go.
Nasser Hussain has just said that England have the best T20 record this year. Under John Lewish they’ve been uber-aggressive.
Today, though, they face a Bangladesh bowling attack that will bowl slow and release it low, which is exactly what England’s dashers don’t enjoy facing.
Should be a fascinating contest. Marufa, a rare seamer today, has the ball and will look to swing it in to the right handers.
The anthems are ringing out. Not long to go.
As a consequence of the change of venue – for those just joining us, we were supposed to be in Bangladesh but civil unrest saw a hasty shift to the UAE – England had to chuck out a whole heap of homework.
As Raf Nicholson reports, the ECB had been crunching numbers for 12 months in the hope of better understanding Bangladeshi conditions to give England an edge.
Now it’s all about vibes and talent, though captain Heather Knight says it’s business as usual.
“I don’t think our plans change too much,” Knight said this week. We’ll find out soon enough.
Adding to the challenge is the fact that this is a used pitch.
If you’re a fan of ripping bouncers and thwacks square of the wicket and through the covers, you’re out of luck.
This is going to be a miserly game, one stacked with sweeps and hard-run twos and threes.
Fielding will also be paramount. Bangladesh shelled four catches against Scotland on Thursday.
Bangladesh team
Riding high after their win over Scotland, they’ll back themselves.
But they need runs. Someone in the top order has to go big and give their finishers something to aim at against England’s spinners.
Their own attack is varied but will rely heavily on the seam of Marufa who is a genuine wicket-taker.
Bangladesh: Dilara, Shathi, Mostary, Joty (c, wk), Taj, Shorna, Ritu, Fajima, Rabeya, Nahida, Marufa.
England team
Lauren Bell misses out as they stack the side with four genuine spinners and Capsey’s part-timers.
That means one of them will have to use the new/newish ball.
EnglandL Bouchier, Wyatt, Capsey, Sciver-Brunt, Knight (c), Jones (wk), Gibson, Dean, Glenn, Ecclestone, Smith.
Heather Knight wins the toss and bats first
“It looms much easier to defend a total,” says England’s skipper after summing up conditions and opting to set a score.
They’ve gone with four spinners! Four! Should be fun.
Sultana says she would have batted first as well.
Bangladesh have already got their campaign underway.
They beat Scotland by 16 runs in the tournament opener on Thursday.
It was their first T20 World Cup in a decade but, sadly, because of unrest back home, it took place over 3,700km away from their home country despite them serving as nominal hosts.
Their skipper, Nigar Sultana, later said, “Initially it was very heartbreaking because we were always bearing in mind that we were able to play in front of our home crowd. But this team, the people looking here today, it was brilliant, we got quite a few people supporting Bangladesh.”
Would be great if they get a whole lot of love again this afternoon.
Heard this one before?
England have been soaking cricket balls in water in order to replicate conditions they’ll face in Dubai.
Given the sweaty conditions, with temperatures reaching almost 40C, gripping the ball will prove a challenge for bowlers, especially in evening games. Could this be the marginal gain that proves decisive?
Australia have just spanked Sri Lanka.
Catch up with Jim’s OBO as he recounts the champions’ resounding opening win.
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
It’s been seven long years since England’s women last won an ICC event. In that time Australia have forged a dynasty, winning one 50-over jamboree and a hat-trick of T20 World Cups.
Can England knock the Aussies off their perch? Hard to say. They lost a warm-up game by 33 runs last week but did beat New Zealand by five wickets in their other pre-tournament tune-up.
They’ve promised to go harder than they’ve gone before and will lean heavily on their cohort of spinners led by the brilliant Sophie Ecclestone, the top-ranked bowler in the format and a game-changer all on her own.
The batters will have to come good on low, turning tracks, but with Nat Sciver-Brunt the highest-placed member of the group at 19th on the ICC’s metrics, this could be a problem area.
They should have too much for the (nominal) hosts, Bangladesh. Victory won’t be enough. They’ll want to send out a statement.
First ball at 3pm BST from Sharjah.
Toss report, teams and other bits to follow.
