The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match between Bangladesh Women and New Zealand Women saw Bangladesh Women win the toss and elected to field first under cloudy skies at Loughborough. The decision didn’t quite go their way, as New Zealand Women posted a massive total of 193/3 and secured a dominant 68-run victory, restricting Bangladesh to 125/8 in their 20 overs.
The New Zealand team posted a mammoth total of 193/3 in their 20 overs. Openers Georgia Plimmer scored 28 off 19 and Suzie Bates scored 45 off 39 providing a strong platform, clear of the boundary with multiple boundaries each. Izzy Sharp kept the foot on the gas with a blistering 46 off just 26 deliveries, before falling to Nahida Akter.
The momentum surged even higher thanks to captain Melie Kerr, who smashed an unbeaten, half-century milestone of 51* off 28 balls, and a sensational cameo from Flora Devonshire, who cleared the boundary at a massive 250.00 strike rate with 20* runs off a mere 8 balls. Complemented by 3 extras, this dominant display left a long list of players—including Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Isabella Gaze, Jess Kerr, Sophie Devine, Nensi Patel, Rosemary Mair, Polly Inglis, and Lea Tahuhu—in the dugout.
Bangladesh Women’s bowling attack found it difficult to contain New Zealand’s batters, with Ritu Moni leading the breakthroughs by claiming 2 wickets for 36 runs in her 4 overs. Nahida Akter was the only other wicket-taker, picking up 1 wicket, but she proved to be highly expensive by leaking 48 runs from her 4 overs. Sanjida Akter Meghla provided the most control during the innings, delivering a disciplined 4-over spell that conceded just 26 runs.
On the more expensive side of the attack, Marufa Akter was hit for 46 runs in her 4 overs, Fahima Khatun went wicketless for 23 runs in her 3 overs, and Shorna Akter bowled a single over that went for 14 runs. This left Bangladesh facing a steep chase of 194 runs from their 20 overs, which began on a challenging note as opener and wicketkeeper Dilara Akter was run out early for 5 runs off 7 balls.
The Bangladesh Women,in their run chase saw steady resistance from captain Nigar Sultana, who anchored the innings with an unbeaten 32 off 33 balls, but a lack of substantial support from the other end stalled their momentum. Opener Dilara Akter fell early for 5, while her partner Juairiya Ferdous provided a brief, explosive burst with a quick-fire 26 off just 15 deliveries before being caught off Lea Tahuhu’s bowling.
The rest of the batting order struggled to accelerate as Sharmin Akhter was dismissed for 4, Taj Nehar chipped in with 13, and Shorna Akter managed 9 before falling to Nensi Patel. Patel caused major damage through the middle and lower order, also removing Ritu Moni for 10 and trapping Fahima Khatun lbw for a duck. Nahida Akter provided some late resistance by striking a brisk 17 off 14 balls before being caught off Rosemary Mair, while Rabeya Khan remained at the crease on 1 as New Zealand’s bowlers tightly restricted the chase.
New Zealand Women delivered a highly disciplined defensive performance at the Haslegrave Ground in Loughborough. Nensi Patel spearheaded the bowling attack with a sensational, destructive spell, dismantling the opposition’s batting order to claim stellar figures of 4 wickets for 18 runs in her 3 overs. Lea Tahuhu provided brilliant control up front, conceding a mere 12 runs from her 3 overs while picking up 1 wicket, and Flora Devonshire offered excellent support with an equally economical spell of 1/14 in her 3 overs.
Rosemary Mair also chipped in with 1 wicket for 22 runs from 3 overs, despite bowling a no-ball. While Jess Kerr’s figures were 0/28 in 3 overs,and Captain Melie Kerr’s figures were 0/20 in 3 overs, and veteran Suzie Bates figures were 0/11 in 2 overs,they all went wicketless, their collective pressure successfully choked out Bangladesh’s chase to seal a comfortable defensive victory.
New Zealand Women dominated the match at the Haslegrave Ground by posting a massive 193/3, fueled by Melie Kerr’s half-century and aggressive knocks from Izzy Sharp and Suzie Bates, before Nensi Patel’s destructive 4-wicket haul choked out Bangladesh’s chase. Conversely, Bangladesh Women struggled from the start after electing to field, their bowling attack leaked runs heavily, with Nahida and Marufa Akter proving highly expensive, while a collapsing middle order left captain Nigar Sultana stranded without the necessary acceleration to mount a successful chase.
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