Australia beat Bangladesh by five wickets: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – as it happened

Australia remain unbeaten – seven wins from seven now. They were tested at times today by a brave Bangladesh, whose spin bowling impressed. The weather also played a part, sometimes comically so, and it wasn’t an easy outing for either team. But the tournament favourites are living up to their billing and the semi-finals await next week. For Bangladesh, their hopes of an unlikely semi-final appearance are officially over, but they will play England on Sunday in their final game in New Zealand and could yet have a say in who reaches the final four. Please do join us for that match, and for the final three games of the tournament that follow. Until then!

Beth Mooney is named player of the match after she guided Australia home with an unbeaten 66 off 75 deliveries.

33rd over: Australia 136-5 (Mooney 66, Sutherland 25) Sutherland has the pleasure of hitting the winning run off Rumana’s bowling and Australia’s unbeaten run continues! They post a seventh-straight victory to enter the semi-finals unblemished.

32nd over: Australia 135-5 (Mooney 66, Sutherland 25) Shouts of “catch it” ring out as Mooney slaps a drive in the air past mid-off. It lands safe and the ball races away to the boundary. Australia are nearly there now – scores are level and just one run is needed from the next over.

31st over: Australia 127-5 (Mooney 59, Sutherland 24) Rumana drops Sutherland. It’s almost identical to the earlier chance to dismiss the Australian batter, but like Ritu, Rumana puts her down! And like, that earlier chance, it came back fast at the bowler. Nine runs required.

30th over: Australia 121-5 (Mooney 57, Sutherland 20) The batters bring up the 50 partnership as they keep whittling away at Bangladesh’s total. This pair have been together now for 76 balls. Australia require 15.

29th over: Australia 117-5 (Mooney 54, Sutherland 19) After what seems like an age, Sutherland finally opens up and pulls Rumana from off to on to find the boundary! Four runs, and that’s a good over for Australia. Just 19 needed now, but it’s drinks first!

28th over: Australia 110-5 (Mooney 52, Sutherland 14) Mooney pulls for a single and that’s her half century – a vital one in the context of this game. She doesn’t realise she’s reached the milestone though, as the scoreboard on the ground isn’t showing that run! So no raised bat from Mooney. Belatedly the Australian bench applaud, following another run as Mooney reaches 51! Another five in total of this over from Nahida. Australia require 26.

27th over: Australia 105-5 (Mooney 49, Sutherland 12) Mooney goes back over Rumana’s head and picks up a useful three runs. She’s only denied a four by some excellent fielding on the ropes. Sutherland then scampers through for a run after nothing more than a push off her thigh, and Australia now require 31.

26th over: Australia 100-5 (Mooney 45, Sutherland 11) A wide blights an otherwise good over from Salma – just three off it – to finish with fine figures of 3-23 from her nine overs. And the 100 is up for Australia!

25th over: Australia 97-5 (Mooney 44, Sutherland 10) Mooney drives for two and with just 39 runs now needed, Australia are closing on victory. A wicket now will change the complex of this chase though – especially that of Mooney.

24th over: Australia 92-5 (Mooney 41, Sutherland 8) Just a couple of singles off Rumana’s next over as the Australian batters are briefly pinned back.

23rd over: Australia 90-5 (Mooney 40, Sutherland 7) It’s getting dark out there. Fahima comes on with her leg spin and starts with three dot balls, nearly seeing Mooney drag on. Two wides follow as the ball is fumbled behind the stumps but Australia are limited to just those two runs. Decent stuff from Fahima.

22nd over: Australia 88-5 (Mooney 40, Sutherland 7) Salma does well as she comes round from mid-on to pick up the ball and save another couple of runs for Mooney, who has to settle for just one. But then a mistake by Nahida, who lets the ball go under her body at point, gifts Moony an extra run.

21st over: Australia 83-5 (Mooney 36, Sutherland 6) Dropped! Sutherland is lucky as she escapes being caught and bowled by Ritu! In fairness to Ritu, it came back at her fast, but it’s a good chance gone begging nevertheless. Four off the over, all in singles. 53 required.

20th over: Australia 79-5 (Mooney 34, Sutherland 4) Time is clearly not an issue for Australia. Wickets, however, are. Rumana can’t find another one to add to her previous scalp of Gardner, but she keeps it tight and Australia glean just four from the over.

19th over: Australia 75-5 (Mooney 31, Sutherland 3) Mooney and Sutherland keep the scoreboard ticking over with four singles off Salma’s next over. Australia require 61.

18th over: Australia 71-5 (Mooney 29, Sutherland 1) Sutherland comes to the crease with the pressure on. She’s off the mark, adding to Mooney’s earlier single. A great over for Bangladesh, who are pumped at the moment. 65 required, Australia have five wickets left.

Oh my goodness me! Gardner goes onto the back foot as she attempts to keep out Rumana to no avail! Clean bowled and Australia are in trouble at five down!

17th over: Australia 69-4 (Mooney 28, Gardner 13) Bangladesh change things up and introduce Ritu into the attack. Mooney gets after her, smacking the ball back over the bowler’s head and even though she doesn’t strike it perfectly it’s got enough legs to get over the boundary. There more singles and that’ll be a nice haul of seven runs from the over.

16th over: Australia 62-4 (Mooney 22, Gardner 12) Rumana Ahmed makes her entrance and sets about attacking the stumps as best she can. Mooney is having none of it and takes a single. Gardner makes it a double on her back foot.

15th over: Australia 59-4 (Mooney 21, Gardner 10) Mooney has a much-needed four off a full delivery from Nahida, who can only watch as the drive heads straight past mid-on. Nahida sends down a shorter one and though Mooney does a laudable job at cutting through backward point a fielder is quick to pick this one up before it can roll to the ropes. Well well well, the Aussies are making their moves. Gardner makes hey with back-to-back boundaries for a 15-run over.

14th over: Australia 44-4 (Mooney 14, Gardner 2) Australia need to settle now. This pair will be looking to build a lasting partnership. They need 92 runs and are suddenly under a wee bit of pressure.

13th over: Australia 41-4 (Mooney 13, Gardner 0) What can Gardner bring to this increasingly shaky table? She likes to hit big, and she likes this ground. She blocks Nahida’s delivery on the full and that’s the over.

McGrath comes onto strike and Bangladesh make some adjustments to their field, deep midwicket comes in and the slips are pulled back. In the end they didn’t need it, merely a deft Nahida delivery that hits McGrath’s back leg. She consults with Mooney but does not review it. It was clear. Well this last half-hour has changed the game a bit, hasn’t it! Welcome Ashleigh Gardner, good to have you here. Drinks time.

12th over: Australia 40-3 (Mooney 12, McGrath 3) Down on one knee, McGrath works with Salma’s spin and has a look for a second but settles for one in the end. Another single wraps up an over otherwise featuring dot balls.

11th over: Australia 38-3 (Mooney 11, McGrath 2) Well Mooney is in the mood for it. Two fours to start the over facing Lata Mondal and one is a lovely cover drive. She cleans up another single for good measurte.

10th over: Australia 28-3 (Mooney 2, McGrath 1) Salma is on a terrific spell! She is again the architect and has Haynes skipping into a slice towards midwicket and my word that is a catch! Fargana Hoque dives to her right and behind and takes is low with an outstretched hand. Another massive scalp for Bangladesh. Tahlia McGrath makes her entrance and takes a single to start her shift but this has not been a good over for Australia.

Ninth over: Australia 26-2 (Haynes 7, Mooney 1) Lata Mondol comes into the Bangladeshi attack and goes for a leg bye before Mooney is able to get off the mark with a flick off her pads. Haynes finishes off the over with an edged single as the power play comes to an end.

Eighth over: Australia 23-2 (Haynes 5, Lanning 0) Before the wicket of Lanning falls, Haynes tries to move things along, using her feet well to pick up a single. She takes up a partnership with Beth Mooney, upon whose shoulders lies the responsibility of steadying the Australian ship a bit.

Lanning goes for a duck! That’s no way to celebrate your 30th birthday! Salma finds a way through her defences to clean bowl the Australian captain!

Seventh over: Australia 22-1 (Haynes 5, Lanning 0) Jahanara did very well to track that ball to catch Healy, which must have been swirling through the air, and she follows it up with a maiden over, despite more struggles to deal with the howling wind.

Sixth over: Australia 22-1 (Haynes 5, Lanning 0) Skipper Meg Lanning comes to the crease on the occasion of her 30th birthday. The batters crossed when Healy holed out so it’s Haynes on strike. She survives a Bangladesh review after a loud lbw appeal from Salma – sliding down leg.

Having swept for four on the first ball of the over, Healy goes again but this time she finds Jahanara in the deep, who holds on! Bangladesh have a breakthrough!

Fifth over: Australia 18-0 (Healy 11, Haynes 5) OK, let’s see how Jahanara fares this over. There’s a slapstick feel to some of the proceedings at this point – when chasing a leg bye, Nigar slips over on the turf – and then Jahanara pulls up twice more before reaching the stumps. It’s making for a very stop-start game. Two off the bat for Haynes, plus that leg bye this over.

Fourth over: Australia 15-0 (Healy 11, Haynes 3) Salma baffles Haynes with one delivery but otherwise it’s a comfortable over for Australia. Three off it – and after four overs they are exactly where Bangladesh were at this point of their innings.

Third over: Australia 12-0 (Healy 9, Haynes 2) Jahanara aborts her run up on ball four of her next over and when she eventually does get her delivery right, Healy drives gloriously through mid-wicket for four. Jahanara is forced to abort again on the final ball of the over as she struggles running into the breeze. It’s tough out there at the moment. Six off the over.

Second over: Australia 6-0 (Healy 4, Haynes 1) Haynes, shirt rippling at she settles into her stance, cuts her first two deliveries, both shots find the fielder at point. A cover drive then sees her get off the mark but that’s all Australia will get from Salma’s opening over, which is a decent one.

First over: Australia 5-0 (Healy 4, Haynes 0) Here we go then. Jahanara gets us under way, facing the mighty Healy and Hayne, but also the wind. Third ball and everyone is in stitches after the ball seems to stick in Jahanara’s fist – she ends up bowling the ball almost directly into the ground and it dribbles off well wide of the stumps. The umpire has to call a no ball and the resulting free hit is smacked to the boundary by Healy. Five off the opening over.

Correct! There are no bails today given the strength of the wind out there.

Apparently, it’s a bit chilly too.

The wind will certainly continue to be a factor in the upcoming run chase. The TV pundits are doing well not to be completely blown away while delivering their mid-match analyses.

Jess Jonassen, who finished with figures of 2-13 from nine overs (including three maidens), says the conditions out there are wild. “I’ve never played a game of cricket like it,” she says.

So, the chase is on. Australia have 43 overs to reach their target, as a run rate of 3.16. It should be comfortable enough for the world No 1 side, but the wind is up and who knows what could happen.

43rd over: Bangladesh 135-6 (Nahida 3, Salma 15) An excellent final over from Schutt, who starts with a wicket, nearly gets another one when a top edge from Salma just gets away from Healy, and ends with just four runs off it.

Lovely bowling from Schutt, as the ball again jags away from the swinging bat of Lata, Healy takes the ball cleanly and whips off the (non-existent) bails!

42nd over: Bangladesh 131-5 (Lata 33, Salma 14) Lata cuts King away towards the boundary, but it hasn’t got the legs to reach the ropes; she has to settle of two. A fine pickup in the covers from Mooney then prevents more runs. Meanwhile, there’s a Westpac helicopter trying to land nearby in the stiff breeze – it’s all over the show as it inches down towards the helipad. Thank goodness, it finally lands.

41st over: Bangladesh 125-5 (Lata 29, Salma 12) Schutt is brought back into the attack. Salma is tempted to go after her first delivery but she misses as the ball jags away. But Schutt is bowling into the wind, which has picked up significantly, and it’s not making things easy for her. A discussion follows a wide as she is forced to recalibrate a little, not dissimilar to a plane battling the gusts on approach to Wellington airport. Five runs off the bat and that wide from this over. Two overs remaining.