Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean shared six wickets after Sophia Dunkley made a vital half century with the bat
Wellington: England 234-6, Bangladesh 134 - England win by 100 runs
England confirmed their place in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup by easing to victory over Bangladesh.
The tournament debutantes put up an admirable fight in the field, but Sophia Dunkley's counter-attack after Heather Knight's reigning champions had been reduced to 96 for 4 ensured there was to be no shock in the teams' last match of the group stage, with spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean taking three wickets each in a 100-run win.
On a pitch in Wellington being used for the third time, Knight won the toss and opted to bat, only for the surface's lack of pace to make stroke-play a struggle all day.
Not for the first time in this competition, Danni Wyatt cut straight into the midriff of backward point, while Knight's early departure – edging a half-hearted dab behind – stifled Tammy Beaumont, who was forced to anchor the innings after England's latest faltering start.
She eventually fell for 33, using up 69 balls in the process, before Nat Sciver was trapped in front for 40 as she advanced down the pitch to Fahima Khatun's leg-spin in the next over.
Having recalled Dean at the expense of Emma Lamb, while also replacing Anya Shrubsole with Freya Davies, England were lighter on batting than in their comfortable win over Pakistan, and so Dunkley's intervention was much-needed.
She found a willing ally in Amy Jones, who was fluent – mostly through the off-side – for 31, and played second fiddle to her more aggressive partner.
Ecclestone is the leading wicket-taker in the competition (Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images)
Dunkley's 67 came off 72 balls, with her eight boundaries amounting to one more than the rest of her teammates could muster between them as Bangladesh's savvy attack kept their more established opponents in check.
Salma Khatun was her team's most successful bowler, picking up Knight and Dunkley at either end of the innings, but Ritu Moni was the most accurate and economical on a surface that made driving difficult, as Beaumont found in miscuing Moni to cover.
In reply, Bangladesh were never truly in the running despite a 42-run opening stand that lasted almost 18 overs. Lata Mondal top-scored with 30 before hitting Dean to Kate Cross at mid-on, while there were also two wickets for Davies in her first appearance of the tournament as England produced a clinical display in the field.
Ecclestone is now three clear as the World Cup's leading wicket-taker, moving to 14 in just seven games, with Dean only four behind despite having missed three matches.
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