LIVE NOW AUS W vs BAN W Live Score, Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Australia Women captain Sophie Molineux won the toss and decided to bowl first against Bangladesh Women in their ICC Women's T20 World Cup match at Headingley, Leeds.
Playing XIs
Australia Women (Playing XI): Beth Mooney (w), Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux (c), Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt.
Bangladesh Women (Playing XI): Dilara Akter, Juairiya Ferdous, Nigar Sultana (w/c), Sobhana Mostary, Sharmin Akhter, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Nahida Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Marufa Akter.
Pitch Report
Ian Bishop and Julia Price inspected the conditions. The square boundaries are relatively short, measuring 62 metres on one side and 59 metres on the other, with the breeze coming from the shorter side. The playing block is enormous, with 14 match pitches across the ground. Overnight rain may make the outfield slightly slow early on, but once the ball gets through the infield, it should race to the boundary. The pitch is cut to around seven millimetres, with plenty of grass coverage. Fast bowlers are expected to enjoy true pace and good bounce. The average at this ground is around 24.7 runs per wicket, making it the best venue for fast bowlers in the tournament so far. Bishop predicts a 180-200 run pitch, offering a balance between bat and ball.
Player Comments
Annabel Sutherland said, "We've played a little bit against them the last couple of years, had a good series in Bangladesh against them, so we feel like we've got a good sense of their bowlers." Juairiya Ferdous stated, "Australia is a very strong team, so it will be a big challenge for us. My focus will be on making the best use of the powerplay and playing a big innings."
Key Stats
Phoebe Litchfield has scored 375 runs in 12 T20 games at Leeds, while Annabel Sutherland has taken 11 wickets in eight games. Nigar Sultana has the most runs for a Bangladesh player against Australia: 171 runs in five innings at an average of 42.75 and a strike rate of 91.44.
Match Context
Headingley hosts its first Women's World Cup match. In 12 women's T20 matches at Leeds since 2025, the record is 6-6 between batting first and chasing. The average first-innings total is 133, and the average winning first-innings total is 154. Spinners have taken 72 wickets at an average of 20.55 and economy of 6.77, compared to pacers' 62 wickets at 24.01 and 7.25.
Australia started their campaign with an emphatic win against South Africa and look to sustain momentum. Phoebe Litchfield's counterattacking half-century was a highlight, but Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll are yet to make an impact. Bangladesh won against the Netherlands, only their second T20 World Cup victory since 2014. They have beaten a Full Member side only once in T20 World Cups (Sri Lanka in 2014). An upset would strengthen their chances in a tough pool.
Toss and Team Changes
Australia captain Sophie Molineux chose to bowl, citing a softer track and fast outfield. Phoebe Litchfield is injured and misses out; Ashleigh Gardner has a sore ankle from a fall. Grace Harris and Megan Schutt replace them. Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana would have preferred to bat first. She emphasized execution of plans and belief in the team. One change: an off-spinner brought in to target Australia's three left-handers.
