Bangladesh national women's cricket team continued their struggles in the three-match ODI series against Australia, suffering a heavy six-wicket defeat in the second match on Sunday. Batting first, they were restricted to a meager 97 runs in 44.1 overs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The Bangladeshi batters repeated their mistakes from the first ODI, losing wickets consistently throughout the innings.
No Bangladeshi batter could build a significant partnership or score substantially. Only three players managed double digits, with the rest failing to even reach ten runs. Lower-order batter Nahida Akhter emerged as the top scorer with a knock of 22 runs off 47 balls. Australian spinner Sophie Molineux proved to be Bangladesh's biggest hurdle, claiming three wickets for just 10 runs and earning Player of the Match honors.
In reply, the Australian women's cricket team chased down the target in a mere 23.5 overs, losing only four wickets in the process. Although their openers fell cheaply, partnerships between Elysse Perry and Beth Mooney, and later Perry and Ashleigh Gardner, ensured a comfortable victory. Perry finished unbeaten on 35 runs, while Gardner contributed a valuable 20 not out.
Despite the loss, there were some bright spots for the Bangladesh bowlers. Right-arm off-break bowler Sultana Khatun and left-arm spinner Rabeya Khan managed to take one wicket each. However, they'll be looking to improve their overall performance in the remaining match of the series.