Australia 222 for 1 (Voll 131*, Litchfield 70, Akter 1-32) beat Bangladesh 220 for 6 (Mostary 118, Nigar 74*, Schutt 4-36) by nine wickets
Voll, who missed out in the opening ODI, was determined to make up. She got going by thrashing fast bowler Habiba Islam through point, an area she went to multiple times during her knock. Litchfield had an early slice of luck when she edged Marufa Akter past the lone diving slip but the rest of her innings was faultless as she lit up Brisbane with the full repertoire of strokes.
Litchfield took on the spin of Nahida Akhter, thumping her past backward point before lifting her over covers and through mid-off. Voll then smashed two fours off Habiba before taking Ritu Moni for four fours in the tenth over. By then, she had raced past fifty off just 34 balls as Australia reached 82 for 0.
If Voll brought the power game to the middle, Litchfield showed her nimble footwork and innovative shot-making. She reverse-swept legspinner Rabeya Khan with force and twice lapped Marufa over the wicketkeeper’s head, also raising her second half-century in as many games. Australia had raced to 131 for 0 in 15 overs, with no respite for Bangladesh in sight.
Litchfield hit the first six of the match, lifting Shorna Akter over mid-off but fell the very next ball, top-edging a reverse sweep to cover.
Voll, who had raced to 90 by then, inched closer to her century with a forceful sweep off Rabeya and reached her ton in the 25th over. She had a reprieve on 104 when Sharmin Akhter dropped a relatively easy chance back-pedalling from midwicket. Voll then hammered Habiba for four fours in an over, before ending the game in the 29th with plenty to spare. Perry also struck two fours in her unbeaten 19 off 22 balls, with Australia maintaining a run-rate of 7.88.
Earlier, Nigar said that Bangladesh “wanted to test ourselves in the middle as a batting unit”. They, however, found themselves in early trouble with Megan Schutt and Kim Garth all over the top order. Bangladesh managed just two runs in the first four overs, with Schutt accounting for Fargana, who was caught behind for a 13-ball duck. It was a hard-length ball just around off that climbed awkwardly, resulting in an edge.
Sharmin Sultana brought up Bangladesh’s first four of the innings, when she ramped Garth over slips, but she soon fell lbw. Garth got a good-length ball to skid through and catch her on the crease, with DRS intervention required to send her back for 5.
Schutt got on the board for the second time when she clean bowled Sharmin Akhter with a very full ball for an 11-ball duck. It was all Australia at that stage with the visitors at 8 for 3 in 7.2 overs. But things were going to change soon.
Mostary looked positive from almost the get-go as she crunched Schutt through covers to get off the mark. While Nigar took her time to settle, Mostary looked assured. She opened up her shoulders as soon as spin was introduced. She slapped Georgia Wareham past backward point, and then drilled her through covers before driving her on the up for a third four in the 13th over.
Annabel Sutherland was whipped imperiously through square leg by Nigar as the two Bangladesh batters continued to build. Nigar brought up the fifty-run stand with an aerial flick through midwicket and celebrated it with a whack over mid-on against Ash Gardner.
Tahlia McGrath rung in the changes, even bringing herself on but to no avail. Mostary thumped Alana King for two fours in the 30th over, the second of which brought up her fourth ODI half-century off 66 balls. She drove, cut and flicked with class, waltzing past her highest ODI score of 74, even as Nigar struggled to rotate the strike.
Mostary screamed through the 80s, with back-to-back fours against McGrath while Nigar also notched up her tenth ODI fifty as the duo crossed the 150-run stand. It was a case of nervous 90s for Mostary, but she settled her nerves with a flash through backward point against Sutherland to move to 99. She soon reached her maiden ODI century with a push to covers and celebrated with gusto.
Mostary rushed past Fargana’s previous highest score for Bangladesh in ODIs with back-to-back fours against Sutherland as Bangladesh crossed 200 in the 47th over. Mostary’s epic finally ended on 118 when she played all around a low full toss from Schutt, who finished with 4 for 36.
Bangladesh lost a cluster of wickets in the end but Nigar managed to help them reach 220 but it wasn’t enough.
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with Cricinfo
