Juairiya Ferdous’ fifty fire Bangladesh to winning start in Women’s T20 World Cup

Juairiya Ferdous of Bangladesh (Getty Images) Bangladesh began their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a confident six-wicket win over the Netherlands at Edgbaston, successfully chasing down the target of 140 thanks to a fluent half-century from opener Juairiya Ferdous and a composed closing partnership led by Sharmin Akhter.Chasing a 140-run victory, Bangladesh got off to a cautious start as the Dutch bowlers maintained excellent control in the opening innings. The batsmen managed just eight runs from the first two overs, preferring to keep the wicket.The momentum shifted in the third over when Juairiya Ferdous eased off with a pair of boundaries. The opener enjoyed a lucky moment soon after when Robine Rijke converted a chance to allow her to continue her innings. Ferdous made the Netherlands pay immediately, hitting mutual boundaries and getting the chase back on track.Alongside Dilara Akter, who provided stability at the other end, Ferdous helped Bangladesh get off to a strong start. The starting pair handled the power play expertly and after six power plays they brought the score to 47 without a loss.Ferdous then accelerated and reached his fifty from just 32 deliveries. The milestone came in style when Caroline de Lange blasted a six from the eighth over. However, the Dutch bowler immediately responded by dismissing the Bangladeshi opener in the following delivery. Ferdous departed after an entertaining knock of 50, decorated with seven fours and two sixes.The goal sparked a brief period of Dutch dominance. De Lange struck again on the very next ball to dismiss Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana for a duck, suddenly giving the Netherlands a way back into the match.Bangladesh’s problems deepened when the Silver Siegers bowled out Dilara Akter for 26 in the 11th over. Sobhana Mostary then fell at run out attempting a quick single to leave Bangladesh at 85/4 and under pressure.However, Sharmin Akhter and Shorna Akter ensured that there were no more setbacks. The pair combined brilliantly in an unbeaten stand worth 56 runs from just 43 deliveries, steadily taking control of the chase before closing out the match comfortably.Sharmin remained unbeaten on 37 with four boundaries while Shorna finished on 18 not out and fittingly sealed the victory with a six. Bangladesh reached 141/4 in 19.1 overs to mark a successful start to their World Cup campaign.Earlier in the day, Netherlands elected 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 picked up the pace briefly with two boundaries in the second over. Her stay was short-lived as Marufa Akter sparked a lead which was saved by goalkeeper Nigar Sultana.Heather Siegers played positively during her 16-run contribution, but she too fell after getting Fariha Trisna behind. Netherlands reached 40/2 at the end of the over but struggled to build a meaningful partnership after that.Bangladesh continued to chip away with regular wickets. Sterre Kalis was bowled by Rabeya Khan while Robin Rijke’s innings ended when Marufa Akter kept a crisp return with a catch. Sanya Khurana also failed to make an impact, managing only one run.Amid the collapses around her, captain Babette de Leede made a crucial shift to keep the Netherlands competitive. She rotated the strike effectively, found boundaries at key moments and anchored the batting effort as the wickets continued to pour in at the other end.De Leede eventually reached a well-built half-century off 45 balls before running him out in an attempted second run. Her knock of 50 included five boundaries and formed the backbone of the Dutch team.Helpful late contributions from Iris Zwilling, who made 13, and the Silver Siegers, who remained unbeaten on 10, helped the Netherlands take their score to 139/8 from 20 overs.However, Bangladesh’s batting depth ultimately proved decisive as Ferdous’s attacking fifty and the unbeaten partnership between Sharmin and Shorna led the Asian side to a comfortable victory and a winning start to the tournament.Brief scores: Netherlands 139/8 (Babette de Leede 50, Heather Siegers 16; Marufa Akter 2/31) lost to Bangladesh 141/4 (Juairiya Ferdous 50, Sharmin Akhter 37*) by six wickets.