Devine, Halliday Fifties Set Bangladesh 228

Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday steadied New Zealand after an unfavourable start, leading them to a challenging total of 227 against Bangladesh in Guwahati. The pair shared a 112-run stand for the fourth wicket, with both players taking a cautious approach for most of their innings before shifting gears in the latter part.

New Zealand’s innings got off to a rocky start as they found themselves in a precarious position at 38 for 3 by the 11th over. The Bangladesh spinners, led by Rabeya Khan, were on top, with Georgia Plimmer being stumped and Amelia Kerr bowled out by a delivery that spun sharply off the surface. Suzie Bates, after a mix-up with Kerr, was run out, adding more pressure on New Zealand’s batting lineup.

Bates, who had gone out for ducks in her previous two innings, was almost out for a third when Marufa Akter trapped her on the pads with a sharp inducker. However, the DRS saved her, confirming the ball had pitched outside the line of the off-stump. This allowed Bates to take the attack to Marufa, hitting three boundaries in the sixth over. But soon after, she ran out.

In the middle overs, Devine and Halliday played cautiously, going 62 balls without a boundary. Their main aim was to stabilize the innings. Halliday was busy of the two, frequently sweeping Bangladesh’s spinners off their lengths, while Devine held back her natural attacking style to bat through the innings. With New Zealand’s lower order still untested, this strategy was likely the best chance to reach a competitive total.

The breakthrough for Bangladesh came in the 39th over, when Halliday top-edged a slog-sweep to Fahima Khatun, the legspinner who had troubled England just a few nights ago. Maddy Green and Devine continued to push the total up, but Devine’s wild attempt to clear the boundary ended her innings at 63, as she was dismissed.

At 179 for 5, New Zealand was in need of a push to reach a decent total. Isabella Gaze and Lea Tahuhu provided the finishing touches with cameos, helping New Zealand finish with 228, a total they hope will be enough to challenge Bangladesh on a slow pitch.

Marufa Akter, who had been a key figure in the early breakthroughs, was the most expensive bowler for Bangladesh, giving away 58 runs from her seven overs. Her natural inswing was off at times, especially in the middle overs when Halliday was taking the initiative. Despite that, the spinners, Fahima Khatun and Rabeya Khan, kept Bangladesh in the hunt.

Key Takeaways:

• Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday’s partnership of 112 runs brought New Zealand back into the game after a poor start.
• Marufa Akter was the most expensive bowler for Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh, chasing 228 on a slow pitch, will need a strong effort from batters to pull off a win.

With 228 to chase, Bangladesh will need to bat out of their skins to defeat New Zealand on what is expected to be a slow surface. Can the Bangladesh batters rise to the challenge and chase down this total? Only time will tell.