Headingley, June 16 (IANS) A shift in venue could force Australia’s first major selection decision of the tournament when they meet Bangladesh at Headingley.

The defending champions relied exclusively on spin to dominate South Africa at Old Trafford, fielding Sophie Molineux, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham and Alana King together. With Leeds expected to be less favourable for slow bowlers, experienced pacer Megan Schutt is firmly in contention to bolster the attack.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, have little reason to alter a winning formula. They opened their campaign with a controlled six-wicket victory over the Netherlands, with debutant opener Juairiya Ferdous laying the platform through a fluent fifty before Sharmin Akter Supta finished the chase.

The result continued Bangladesh’s upward trajectory after recovering from consecutive defeats, as they won their final three matches in the tri-series involving Scotland and the Netherlands before the World Cup.

Australia, however, have been equally impressive. Before outclassing South Africa in Manchester, they completed a 3-0 clean sweep of the West Indies, their only recent setback being a home T20 series loss to India.

Past meetings also point towards Australian dominance. They comfortably defeated Bangladesh in Canberra during the 2020 edition after Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney combined for a century opening stand. In 2023, Georgia Wareham’s three-wicket haul restricted Bangladesh to 107 before Meg Lanning anchored a straightforward chase with an unbeaten 48.

With Australia leading Group 1 on net run rate and Bangladesh also off to a winning start, both teams have the opportunity to strengthen their positions before the competition enters its decisive phase.

When: Wednesday, June 17, 3:00 PM IST

Where: Headingley, Leeds

Where to watch: The AUS vs BAN match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.

Squads:

Australia: Sophie Molineux (c), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana Joty (c), Nahida Akter (vc), Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun, Fariha Islam Trisna, Marufa Akter, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, Juairiya Ferdous, Taj Nehar

–IANS

vi/