The Bangladesh women’s cricket team is entering the final stages of preparation ahead of their historic bilateral ODI series against Australia. On Thursday, Nigar Sultana Joty’s squad held an intensive training session, focusing on fine-tuning their batting, bowling, and tactical strategies to adapt to the challenging Australian conditions. The team is aiming to translate these efforts into a strong performance when the series kicks off.
Ahead of the main fixtures, the side played a warm-up match against Queensland Fire on Tuesday at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. The match was affected by rain, forcing a reduction to 36 overs. Queensland Fire batted first, setting a target of 266 for 9. Queensland’s total was driven by Charlize Knott, who scored 94 off 64 balls, and Grace Harris, who contributed 76 off 50 deliveries. Debutant pacer Habiba Islam Pinky was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, claiming 4 wickets for 44 runs in 7 overs, while Marufa Akter took 2 wickets.
Due to the Duckworth-Lewis method, Bangladesh faced a revised target of 269 runs. They finished their 36 overs at 196 for 7. Sharmin Akter Supta led the chase with a resilient 68 off 67 balls, supported by Sobhana Mostary, who added 49 runs. The duo shared a 112-run partnership for the fourth wicket, providing a glimpse of a potential recovery. Despite the 72-run defeat, the team views the warm-up as a vital learning experience to assess the effectiveness of their pace attack and help the batters acclimate to local conditions.
The focus now shifts to the main series, which holds significant importance as part of the ICC Women’s Championship. The first ODI is scheduled for Friday, October 9, at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, starting at 9:50 AM local time. The teams will meet again at the same venue for the second and third ODIs on October 11 and October 14, respectively. Having addressed the shortcomings from their practice match, Joty’s team is now looking to prove their competitive potential against the formidable Australian side.
