Bangladesh Women defeated Netherlands Women by six wickets in the fifth match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston. After being asked to bat first, Netherlands Women managed to score 139/8 in their 20 overs. They lost an early wicket and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings. Babette de Leede scored a hard-fought half-century and finished as the top scorer for Netherlands Women. Marufa Akter (2/31 in 4 overs) was the standout bowler for Bangladesh Women, while Ritu Moni (1/17 in 4 overs) was the most economical.
In reply, Juairiya Ferdous and Dilara Akter added a quickfire 67 runs for the first wicket in 7.5 overs before Caroline de Lange (2/27 in 4 overs) dismissed Juairiya Ferdous in the eighth over. Bangladesh Women lost a few wickets after that, but Sharmin Akhter and Shoma Akter stitched together an unbeaten 56-run partnership for the fifth wicket to guide their team across the finish line with five balls to spare. Sharmin Akhter remained unbeaten on 37 off 32 balls, while Shoma Akter scored an unbeaten 18 off 17 balls. With this victory, Bangladesh Women began their campaign on a positive note.
De Leede Leads Netherlands Recovery
After choosing to bat first at Edgbaston, the Netherlands faced early setbacks as Bangladesh's bowlers struck regularly. Phebe Molkenboer was the first to depart when Marufa Akter found an edge behind the wicket. Netherlands captain Babette de Leede then arrived at the crease and initially struggled against Bangladesh's disciplined pace attack before settling into her innings.
Heather Siegers looked positive early on but fell after edging Fariha Trisna behind. The Dutch innings suffered another blow when Rabeya Khan produced a superb delivery to dismiss Sterre Kalis and claim her 50th T20I wicket. As wickets continued to fall, the Netherlands slipped into trouble. Robine Rijke and Sanya Khurana departed in quick succession, leaving the side struggling at the halfway stage.
Captain De Leede Anchors The Innings
With her team under pressure, De Leede took responsibility and rebuilt the innings. She mixed elegant drives, clever sweeps and aggressive strokeplay to keep the scoreboard moving. The Dutch captain attacked Bangladesh's spinners and found boundaries at crucial moments to prevent the innings from stalling.
A productive over against Sanjida Akter helped increase the scoring rate, while De Leede continued to rotate the strike effectively and collect valuable runs between the wickets.
She reached her eighth T20I half-century and her first of the year after a determined 45-ball effort. However, she was run out shortly after reaching the milestone while attempting a quick second run.
At 115/7, the Netherlands still faced the danger of finishing with a below-par total.
Late Partnership Lifts Netherlands
The lower order provided an important boost during the final overs. Iris Zwilling and Silver Siegers put together an unbeaten partnership worth 23 runs from just 17 balls to push the Netherlands to a competitive 139.
Their late contribution ensured the Dutch side had something meaningful to defend against a more experienced Bangladesh batting lineup.
Ferdous Launches Bangladesh Chase
Bangladesh opener Juairiya Ferdous took an aggressive approach from the start of the chase. The young batter looked determined to attack and targeted the boundary at every opportunity. Although she survived an early chance, Ferdous quickly punished the Netherlands bowlers and dominated the powerplay.
She struck seven fours and two sixes, regularly finding the boundary on the leg side and down the ground. A controversial third-umpire decision also went in her favour when a catch at deep midwicket was ruled not out. Ferdous made the most of the reprieve and continued her attacking approach. Together with Dilara Akter, she helped Bangladesh race to 46 without loss after six overs.
Netherlands Fight Back Through Spin
Just when Bangladesh appeared to be cruising, the Netherlands staged a strong comeback. Caroline de Lange sparked the turnaround by dismissing Ferdous immediately after the opener reached her half-century. The spinner then removed Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana in the same over to put pressure on the chasing side.
The Dutch bowlers tightened their grip and delivered several economical overs. Silver Siegers added another breakthrough when she bowled Dilara Akter, while Frederique Overdijk produced a sharp direct hit to run out Sobhana Mostary. Suddenly, Bangladesh's chase became far more complicated as the required run rate began to rise.
Shorna And Sharmin Keep Their Nerve
With the match hanging in the balance, Shorna Akter and Sharmin Akhter combined to steady the innings. The pair added 56 runs from 44 balls and showed the calmness that Bangladesh needed in a tense situation.
Shorna played a measured innings, focusing on strike rotation and smart running between the wickets. Sharmin eased the pressure by finding important boundaries and ensuring the asking rate remained under control.
Although the Netherlands continued to field brilliantly and used frequent bowling changes to keep the contest alive, Bangladesh's experienced batters held firm and chased down the target with 5 balls to spare.
Brief Scorecard
