LIVE: Spinners on top as England look to defend modest total against Bangladesh

Match Centre and Scorecard

England’s four-pronged spin attack combined to leave Bangladesh needing a strong second half of their chase in a low-scoring thriller in Group B.

Charlie Dean and Linsey Smith removed openers Dilara Akter (6 from 12) and Shathi Rani (7 from 9) in a slow start, and a recovery partnership between Sobhana Mostary and Nigar Sultana left the Tigresses on 42/2 at the midway point of their chase, needing to up the scoring rate but with plenty of wickets still in hand against the favourites to qualify from the group.

Earlier, Bangladesh responded superbly to restrict England to 118/7 in Sharjah, after the English openers had put on 48 for the first wicket.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge top scored with 41, but it was the Bangladesh bowlers who shone as evening turned into night in Sharjah, with Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun and Nahida Akter picking up two wickets apiece in an excellent team effort.

England post 118/7 after winning the toss

England’s openers made a strong start after Heather Knight’s World Cup started with the correct call at the toss as England chose to bat first in the evening game.

Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge played through the powerplay scoring at a rate that few teams have looked capable of doing on the Sharjah surface, with the score at 48/1 when Bouchier was caught for 23 (18).

But Bouchier’s wicket prompted a slow-down as Bangladesh got themselves into the game, prizing out the key scalps of Nat Sciver-Brunt (2) and Heather Knight (6) – the latter cleaned up by a beauty from Ritu Moni.

Wyatt-Hodge’s sparkling knock ended short of a half-century as she was stumped for 41 off Nahida Akter and Alice Capsey struggled to get going in an innings of 9 (17), leaving England needing their lower middle order to boost the total to one they’d have been hoping for after opting to bat first.

Fahima Khatun returned outstanding figures of 2/18 from her four overs.

Rabeya Khan played a big part in England’s slow down, with 1/15 from her four.

The Squads

Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana Joty (c), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas

England: Heather Knight (c), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Linsey Smith, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Bess Heath