Tigresses pledge to stand firm against England

Buoyed by their victory over Scotland in the opener, Bangladesh will face England, the 2009 ICC Women's T20 World Cup champions, in their second Group B match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium today. Led by Nigar Sultana Joty, the Tigresses began their campaign with a 16-run win over Scotland on Thursday, thanks to a strong bowling performance, the team’s key strength. This victory also ended a 16-match losing streak in Women's T20 World Cups that had stretched back to 2014.

With newfound confidence, Bangladesh is expected to be more settled, though the challenge of facing a powerhouse like England remains daunting. The two teams have clashed three times in past tournaments, with England winning all three—at home in 2014, and in subsequent encounters in 2016 and 2018.

Despite the odds, Bangladesh seamer Ritu Moni, who was named player of the match against Scotland for her two wickets for 15 runs, remains unfazed about taking on the world’s second-ranked T20I team.

"They are one of the best teams, but we won't back down," Ritu said in a video message after an optional training session in Sharjah yesterday. "I always aim to bowl economically, no matter the opponent. I practice bowling dot balls in training and will focus on doing the same during the match." While Bangladesh’s bowling has been consistent, their batting remains a concern. In their first match, the middle-order faltered after a solid start, preventing the team from posting a bigger total.

Top-order batter Sobhana Mostary, who led with 36 off 38 balls against Scotland, acknowledged the poor timing of her dismissal, which put pressure on the incoming batters.

"I wish I could've contributed more to the team. I got out at a crucial moment and missed my half-century. If I had stayed longer, we could've reached 125 instead of 120 [119 for seven]," Sobhana said yesterday.

Reflecting on the upcoming match, Sobhana added, "We haven’t played much against England, but we performed well against them in the ODI World Cup, especially our bowling unit.

"The pitch in Sharjah is slow but decent for batting, though the outfield is slow as well. We missed out on five or six boundaries last match because of it. The boundary dimensions on some sides are as large as 72 metres. We’re adjusting to that. It was also extremely hot during the day game."