Bangladesh crush Pakistan, win by eight wickets

Marufa Akter's stellar bowling led Bangladesh to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan, restricting them to 129 runs in the World Cup match.

New Delhi: Marufa Akter was over the moon. It was the first over and the inswinger was coming out of her hands beautifully. The conditions on offer at the R Premadasa Stadium were excellent for the new ball and Akter made full use of that.

Bangladesh's Marufa Akter celebrates the wicket of Pakistan's Omaima Sohail during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. (AP)

First, she bowled opener Omaima Sohail for a duck with an absolute ripper. The very next ball she bowled another sharp one to get bowl No 3 batter Sidra Amin out for nought too. Akter’s spell set the early tone as Pakistan were bowled out for a paltry 129 in 38.3 overs.

It was an easy chase for Bangladesh as they finished the job in 31.1 overs to claim a resounding seven-wicket win. This was only Bangladesh’s second win at the World Cup, with their previous victory also coming against Pakistan in the 2022 edition.

“My team members supported me (from the other end), they all told me you’re a lovely bowler and inspired me,” said Akter after the match. “Our analyst told me to give my best shot, I managed to do it. I was getting some good swing, and maintained my line and lengths while bowling.”

The win will be a morale boost for Bangladesh, it also gave their net run rate a nice bump up. They will face England in Guwahati on October 7. However, Pakistan have a tough challenge on hand with their next match against India on October 5.