Juairiya fifty on T20 World Cup debut headlines Bangladesh's winning start

Juairiya Ferdous marked her Women's T20 World Cup debut with a match-winning half-century as Bangladesh held their nerve to defeat Netherlands by six wickets in a tense Group B encounter at Edgbaston, sealing their highest successful chase in Women's T20 World Cups in a winning start to their campaign.

Chasing 140, Bangladesh cruised through the Powerplay before suffering a dramatic collapse, but an unbroken 50-run stand between Sharmin Akhter and Shorna Akter carried them home with five balls to spare.

Opting to bat, Netherlands suffered early setbacks as Marufa Akter struck in the second over to remove Phebe Molkenboer while Fariha Trisna accounted for Heather Siegers. Captain Babette de Leede anchored the innings with a composed 50 off 45 balls even as Bangladesh kept the scoring in check. De Leede survived early plays-and-misses, a dropped chance and an overturned LBW decision before finding support from Robine Rijke and Frederique Overdijk. The Dutch captain eventually reached her fifty but was run out while attempting a second run, as Netherlands finished with 139 for 8 after late contributions from Iris Zwilling and Silver Siegers.

Bangladesh's chase began in explosive fashion as Juairiya and Dilara Akter added 67 without loss inside eight overs. Juairiya dominated the scoring, taking on both pace and spin with confidence as she raced to a 32-ball fifty, striking seven fours and two sixes. Dilara played the supporting role effectively as Bangladesh surged ahead of the required rate.

Just when the chase appeared straightforward, Netherlands staged a remarkable comeback. Caroline de Lange turned the game with two wickets in consecutive deliveries, dismissing Juairiya immediately after her fifty and then bowling captain Nigar Sultana first ball. Silver Siegers further tightened the screws by bowling Dilara for 26 before Frederique Overdijk produced a brilliant direct-hit run-out to send back Sobhana Mostary. From 67 without loss, Bangladesh slipped to 85 for 4.

Sharmin and Shorna then restored calm with a measured 56-run partnership that gradually shifted the momentum back. The pair rotated strike efficiently before Sharmin broke the boundary drought with a crucial four off Isabel Woning. With the asking rate under control again, the duo steadily chipped away at the target.

Brief scores: Netherlands 139/8 in 20 overs (Babette de Leede 50; Marufa Akter 2-31) lost to Bangladesh 141/4 in 19.1 overs (Juairiya Ferdous 50, Sharmin Akhter 37*, Dilara Akter 26; Caroline de Lange 2-27) by six wickets.