Bangladesh Women Begin Their Innings Against South Africa in World Cup 2025
The highly anticipated ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 match between South Africa Women and Bangladesh Women is now in full swing at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Winning the toss, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana made the strategic decision to bat first. She expressed confidence in her batters to set a competitive total on a pitch she believes offers good scoring opportunities, aiming to give her in-form bowlers a strong target to defend.
Conversely, South African captain Laura Wolvaardt indicated she would have opted to bowl first anyway, foreseeing potential dew later in the evening that could make ball-gripping challenging and improve batting conditions. Wolvaardt underscored the team’s need to remain grounded and focused, treating every match with the utmost seriousness despite their recent impressive victory. Both sides have made two changes to their playing XIs for this crucial fixture.
Pitch Report and Conditions
According to experts Alan Wilkins and Carlos Brathwaite, the conditions in Visakhapatnam are cooler today due to overnight rain, with temperatures around 28 degrees. The pitch, a fresh wicket with some bare patches, is expected to favor spinners, especially those bowling under 75 kph. Accuracy, aiming wicket-to-wicket, will be key for bowlers. Bangladesh’s batting unit faces the challenge of setting a sufficient score to allow their spinners to effectively influence the game.
Match Highlights So Far
Bangladesh’s innings got off to a measured start. After 9 overs, they stood at 24 runs without loss. Openers Rubya Haider (6 runs off 25 balls) and Fargana Hoque (13 runs off 29 balls) displayed caution against the South African pace attack. Fargana Hoque provided the first signs of aggression, hitting two boundaries in the sixth over, boosting the team’s scoring rate. Marizanne Kapp led the bowling attack for South Africa, maintaining tight lines and conceding only 10 runs in her 5 overs.
Playing XIs:
South Africa Women:
- Laura Wolvaardt (c)
- Tazmin Brits
- Anneke Bosch
- Annerie Dercksen
- Marizanne Kapp
- Sinalo Jafta (w)
- Chloe Tryon
- Nadine de Klerk
- Masabata Klaas
- Tumi Sekhukhune
- Nonkululeko Mlaba
Bangladesh Women:
- Rubya Haider
- Fargana Hoque
- Sharmin Akhter
- Nigar Sultana (w/c)
- Sobhana Mostary
- Fahima Khatun
- Shorna Akter
- Nahida Akter
- Rabeya Khan
- Ritu Moni
- Marufa Akter