Juwiria Ferdous from Bangladesh (Getty Images)
Bangladesh opened their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a confident six-wicket win over Netherlands at Edgbaston, chasing down a target of 140 thanks to a fluent half-century from opener Jwiriyah Ferdous and a calm finals partnership led by Sharmin Akhtar.In their quest for a 140-run victory, Bangladesh started cautiously as the Dutch bowlers maintained excellent control in the opening exchanges. The batsmen managed just eight runs from the first two overs with priority given to keeping wicket.
The momentum shifted in the third over when Jawiria Ferdous broke free with a pair of boundaries. The opener enjoyed a lucky moment soon after when Robin Riki missed a chance, allowing her to continue her innings.
Firdaus made the Netherlands pay immediately, hitting successive boundaries and putting the chase firmly back on track.Along with Dilara Akter, who provided stability at the other end, Firdaus helped Bangladesh get off to a strong start. The opening pair negotiated the powerplay expertly, taking the score to 47 without loss after six overs.Then Firdaus’ growth rate accelerated, reaching 50 out of only 32 births.
That milestone came in style when Caroline de Lange launched for six in the eighth over. However, the Dutchman responded immediately by dismissing the Bangladesh opener on the next delivery. Firdaus departed after an entertaining knock of 50, embellished with seven sixes.The wicket sparked a brief period of Dutch dominance. De Lange struck again the next ball to dismiss Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana for a duck, suddenly giving the Netherlands a way back into the contention.Bangladesh’s woes deepened when Silver Seagers bowled Dilara Akter for 26 in the 11th over. Sobhana Mostary then fell out while attempting a quick single, leaving Bangladesh at 85/4 and under pressure.However, Sharmeen Akhtar and Shurna Akhtar assured that there will be no further setbacks. The duo combined brilliantly in an unbeaten stand worth 56 runs off just 43 deliveries, steadily controlling the chase before finishing comfortably.Charmaine remained unbeaten with 37 with four boundaries, while Churna finished 18 not out and suitably took the win with six. Bangladesh reached 141/4 in 19.1 overs to register a successful start to their World Cup campaign.Earlier in the day, the Netherlands chose to bat first after winning the toss but found it difficult to score against a disciplined Bangladesh attack. The innings started slowly before opener Phebe Molkenboer briefly raised the tempo with two boundaries in the second over.
Her stay was short-lived as Marova brought about the biggest advantage collected by wicket-keeper Nigar Sultana.Heather Siegers played positively during her 16-round contribution, but also fell after being outplayed by Fariha Trisna. The Netherlands reached 40/2 at the end of the powerplay but struggled to build meaningful partnerships after that.Bangladesh continued to dish out regular wickets. Sterre Kalis was bowled by Rabeya Khan, while Robine Rijke’s innings ended when Marufa Akter was caught by a sharp return catch.
Sania Khurana also failed to make an impact, managing just one run.Amidst the collapse around her, captain Babette De Leyde played crucial roles to keep the Netherlands competitive. She rotated the bat effectively, finding boundaries at crucial moments and stabilizing the batting effort as wickets continued to tumble at the other end.De Leede eventually reached a well-built half-century off 45 balls before being run out while attempting his second run.
Her knock of 50 included five boundaries and formed the backbone of the Dutch total.Helpful late contributions from Iris Zwilling, who made 13, and the Silver Seagers, unbeaten on 10, helped the Netherlands raise their score to 139/8 from 20 overs.However, the depth of Bangladesh’s batting eventually proved decisive as Firdaus’ attacking fifty and an unbeaten partnership between Sharmaine and Churna led the Asian team to a comfortable win and a triumphant start to the tournament.Brief Scores: Netherlands 139/8 (Babette de Leddy 50, Heather Seegers 16, Marova Akter 2/31) lost to Bangladesh 141/4 (Jwiriya Ferdous 50, Sharmaine Akhter 37*) by six wickets.
