Maddy Green and Suzie Bates retain New Zealand hope

After recording two ducks in the previous two games Suzie Bates improved to assist New Zealand in posting the fourth-highest total in Women's T20 World Cup history and maintain their chances of reaching the semi-final.

Bates helped New Zealand reach 189 for 3 with an unbeaten 81 off 61 balls before Bangladesh was held to 118 for eight by a solid bowling effort. She also became the first T20 World Cup player to score 1000 runs using this technique. Along with Bates Maddy Green's unbeaten 44 off 20 balls helped New Zealand to reach 60 runs in their final five overs. Bezuidenhout and Bates get New Zealand off to an explosive start.

Bates recorded first-ball and second-ball blobs in the games where New Zealand was bowled out for scores of 76 and 67 against Australia and South Africa respectively. While fellow opener Bernadine Bezuidenhout dominated the first three overs of the match on Friday against Bangladesh she got off to a cautious start.

Bezuidenhout, who had herself been dismissed for zero in the prior contest struck the opening pitch of the innings for four before adding another boundary in the third over. Bates opened her boundary count with a perfectly placed whip past midwicket. However, Bezuidenhout scored most of the goals as New Zealand finished the powerplay with 49 for a win. The pair had only eight dots to deal with during the phase.

Bezuidenhout appeared to be on track to reach her first T20I half-century when she charged down and was stumped by Shona Akter ending the 77-run partnership in which she had made 44 off 26 balls.

Leading the final onslaught are Bates and Green.

Until legspinner Fahima Khatun administered a twin blow, Bates and Amelia Kerr had advanced New Zealand past the century mark. She bowled Sophie Devine with a slider on the following delivery after having Kerr offer a return catch off a full toss first.

But a steady Bates was soon joined by a combative Green who immediately found the bat's center. Using the depth of the crease and the bowler's pace, she smacked seamer Marufa Akter for three fours in one over after striking Fahima back over her head with her feet. Also she demonstrated her spin-fighting skills by reverse-sweeping Salma into a short third and then knocking left-arm spinner Nahida Akter to the ground.

In contrast, Bates surpassed her fifth fifty-plus score in T20 World Cups and pounced on anything that was even slightly short. Before repeating the exercise against Nahida, she pulled Fahima through midwicket. She also successfully employed the reverse sweep. In the 18th over Marufa dropped her at deep midwicket and she prevented the ball for six scoring Bates' 1000th run.

Bangladesh now has a mountain to climb after Bates and Green put on an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 82 runs in seven overs. Despite Shorna's brilliance New Zealand is clinical. Bangladesh got off to a good start in the chase when Shamima Sultana struck Lea Tahuhu for a four and a six in the first over. Nevertheless, Hannah Rowe yorked No. 3 Sobhana Mostary for four while only giving up three runs from her first two overs, trapping her lbw for 14.

Murshida Khatun and Shorna who also competed in the Under-19 T20 World Cup, shared 46 runs for the fourth wicket before Kerr bowled Nigar Sultana with a googly in the tenth over.

Before hitting Rowe for back-to-back fours in the 13th over, Shorna hit Kerr for a few fours through the leg side. Before being forced to slice one to the backward point by offspinner Eden Carson, Murshida also hit a few boundaries. After that stand was broken, Bangladesh could only manage 18 runs in the remaining 32 balls.