Australia stormed into their Women's T20 World Cup campaign with a commanding display against Bangladesh at Headingley, Leeds. The reigning champions flexed their muscles, pinning the Tigers down for a modest total before chasing it down with nine wickets to spare – a statement of intent from the team that will leave their rivals quaking in their boots.
Ellyse Perry was the star of the show, collecting Player of the Match honours after dismantling Bangladesh's batting line-up with her razor-sharp bowling. On a day when the conditions were perfectly suited to seam bowling, Perry made the most of it, chipping away at the opposition's momentum and setting up Australia's victory.
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana admitted her team was off-colour, saying: "We are better than this, we know that. We really wanted to put a score on the board for our bowlers to have a chance." Despite their struggles, Marufa Akter showed promise with the ball, offering a glimpse of what could be a potent force in future matches.
But it was Australia's batting line-up that stole the show, spearheaded by Georgia Voll who tore into the Bangladesh attack with abandon. Voll's commanding performance – all 37 runs scored at better than a run-a-ball – came after losing Beth Mooney early on, but she remained unflappable and helped her team wrap up the win in under ten overs.
Next up for Australia is a date with the Netherlands on Saturday, as they look to build on this strong start. Bangladesh, meanwhile, face Pakistan later that day – their first chance to get back on track after this opening defeat.