Heather Knight’s unbeaten 79 guides England to thrilling four-wicket win over Bangladesh in Women’s World Cup

Guwahati: Former captain Heather Knight dug deep into her reservoir of experience to score a match-winning half-century and guide England to a four-wicket win over a spirited Bangladesh in the Women’s World Cup here on Tuesday.

Bundled out for 178, the Bangladesh bowling unit, led by leg-spinner Fahima Khatun (3/16 in 10 overs) and pacer Marufa Akter (2/28 in 5 overs), put up a fighting effort to leave England at a precarious 78 for five in the 23rd over, and 103 for six in the 30th over.

However, Knight, who stepped down from captaincy in March, had other ideas and tackled the challenge posed at her by the Bangladesh bowlers with aplomb while stamping her authority on the game with some bold strokes after the opposition smelled victory.

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Knight remained unbeaten on 79 off 111 balls, while Charlie Dean was not out on 27 off 56, when the winning runs were hit.

As she battled the Bangladesh bowlers when they had their tails up, Knight found an able ally in Dean, adding 79 runs for the seventh wicket to seal the issue in their team’s favour with 23 balls to spare.

This was after the wily Sophie Ecclestone did the star turn with excellent figures of 3/24 in a thoroughly professional performance by England’s spinners.

For Bangladesh, Sobhana Mostary top-scored with a patient 108-ball 60, while Rabeya Khan made an entertaining 43 off 27 balls after coming in at number nine, showing the way to the team’s top-order batters how to do it after England opted to field first.

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Besides Ecclestone, off-spinners Charlotte Dean (2/28 in 10 overs) and Alice Capsey (2/31 in 8 overs) chipped in with two wickets each for England.

England were off to a disastrous start as they lost Amy Jones (1) in the first over, trapped in front of the wicket by young pacer Akter with a big inswinger after the batter shuffled across.

Bangladesh could have had their second in the next over but Marufa dropped Tammy Beaumont after the opener failed to connect properly a lofted shot off left-arm spinner Nahida Akter, who had given the ball some air.

Beaumont, however, could not capitalise on the life as Marufa made amends by having the batter out lbw for 13 to leave England at 29 for two at the start of seventh over.

To England’s relief, Knight got a caught behind decision against Marufa reversed after a successful review.

England seemed to be recovering from the two blows when leg-spinner Fahima Khatun struck twice in the same over, including dismissing skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (32 off 41 balls), to leave her team in a tricky 69 for four in the 19th over.

Fahima, then, removed Emma Lamb to compound England’s woes. But Knight stood there till the end to power her team.

Earlier, coming off a convincing win against Pakistan in their tournament opener, Bangladesh were off to a confident start with Sharmin Akhter picking 14 runs off a Lauren Bell over, even as left-arm spinner Linsey Smith didn’t give even an inch to the two openers, the other being Rubya Haider.

While Smith, who was handed the new ball, kept things tight at one end, Bell struck in her third over when she dismissed Rubya Haider after a mistimed lofted shot by the batter ended in the hands of Sophia Dunkley, who backtracked a bit to complete a good catch.

England captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt also deserves some credit for the opening breakthrough as she persisted with Bell despite the bowler being hit for three boundaries by Sharmin Akhter (30 off 53 balls).

Skipper Nigar Sultana looked to be in double mind as she played a half-hearted drive in the air after the ball stopped on her, giving a catch to Charlie Dean at short cover off the bowling of Smith.

Sultana failed to open her account and after after a promising start, Bangladesh found themselves on the back foot, having lost two wickets in five balls at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, where the famous ‘Ya Ali’ song was played sporadically in memory of late singer and Assam’s biggest cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, who died recently.

Sobhana Mostary joined Akhter, and the two added 34 runs while playing some lovely shots until the latter was out caught behind to a classical left-arm spinning delivery bowled by Ecclestone, in the 16th over.

This was England’s second successive victory in the tournament after the 10-wicket win over South Africa.