ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025: Bangladesh beat Pakistan as Rubya Haider Jhilik hits debut fifty

Opener Rubya Haider Jhilik hit a debut fifty as Bangladesh cruised to a seven-wicket win over Pakistan on the back of a fine bowling effort to record just their second victory in a Women's World Cup.

Seamer Marufa Akter set the tone with two wickets - both bowled - in the first over after Pakistan chose to bat.

From there the spinners took over and Pakistan, having lost star batter Sidra Ameen to the first ball she faced, collapsed to 129 all out in 38.3 overs.

Bangladesh made a nervy start to their chase and crawled to 35-2 from 12 overs before skipper Nigar Sultana Joty came in.

She showed some intent and Jhilik followed, taking over as the chief aggressor in a 62-run partnership that took the game away from Pakistan.

Jhilik went on to reach her half-century from 64 balls just after Joty had been dismissed and finished unbeaten on 54 from 77 deliveries.

It was left to Sobhana Mostary to get Bangladesh over the line, scoring 24 not out - all in boundaries - to finish the job with 18.5 overs to spare.

The comprehensive win comes three and a half years after Bangladesh's maiden World Cup victory, also over Pakistan, in Hamilton, and such performance will raise hopes that it will not be their last at this tournament.

Cricketing wisdom would tell you that you can't win a 100-over game in the first over, but you can go a long way to losing it.

That is certainly how Pakistan will view it with two of their top three - Omaima Sohail and Ameen - gone for golden ducks thanks to the new-ball brilliance of Marufa Akter.

The 20-year-old had the ball hooping from the off and with just her fifth delivery she produced a superb swinging delivery that beat Omaima through the gate and crashed into middle and leg.

Next ball she was at it again. Slightly wider this time, but the same prodigious swing back into the right-hander - with a bit of help from Ameen's inside edge - made a mess of the stumps once more.

"How Marufa bowled in the powerplay - she stole the show!" Joty said after the match.

"She's very young, but she's very mature and she knows her role very well. Everyone backed her up very well, but she was incredible."

It was Ameen's first duck in a one-day international since February 2019 and, given the form she has been in, it seemed to shock Pakistan.

With scores of 121 not out, 122, 50 not out and 37 not out in her past four innings, the significance of Ameen's wicket for Bangladesh was huge.

Marufa's impact lessened once the swing diminished, but the Bangladesh spinners were ready and waiting to do their part.

All six bowlers used claimed at least one wicket, with leg-spinner Shorna Akter taking 3-5 and left-armer Nahida Akter 2-19.

There was no respite for Pakistan, and any hopes they had of defending such a low total were scuppered by the class and coolness of Jhilik on debut.

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