T20 World Cup Australia

Brilliant Bangladesh down Dutch in T20 WC

Online Desk

Online Desk
প্রকাশের তারিখ: 09:46 সোমবার, 24 অক্টোবর, 2022

|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh have overcame 15 years of T20 World Cup match win drought with a convincing triumph in their opening Super 12 clash against Netherlands by nine runs at an overcast and cold Hobart on Monday. Bangladesh's six-wicket victory against West Indies in the 2007 edition's group stage was their first win at main stage.

After 20 overs, the Dutch were all out for 135 against Bangladesh's 144 for eight. Bangladesh couldn't have wished for a better start to their 145-run defense as bowler Taskin Ahmed took two wickets in the first two deliveries of the Netherlands innings.

Shakib then entered the fray in the fourth over, but was met with a six from hard-hitting opener Max O'Dowd. However, the Tigers' out-fielding was on point, as two run outs at that moment put Bangladesh in command.

Colin Ackermann, in at number four, consolidated with skipper Scott Edwards and stitched a 44-run stand until Shakib came back to dismiss Edwards with the Netherlands suffering at 15 for four within four overs (16).

Bangladesh struck a double blow soon after, with seamer Hasan Mahmud dismissing Tim Pringle (1) in his third over, which also turned out to be a maiden over, before eliminating Logan van Beek (2) in his fourth over to finish with fantastic figures of 4-1-15-2.

Ackermann was left to fight and his brave 48-ball 62-run effort concluded with Taskin grabbing two wickets in his fourth over, dismissing Ackermann after Shariz Ahmed (9). Taskin's stats were 4-0-25-4.

In the end, Paul van Meekeren struck a 14-ball 24 but it only reduced the margin of defeat. 

Earlier, Paul van Meekeren became the Netherlands joint all-time top wicket-taker as Bangladesh were held to 144-8. 

The 29-year-old fast bowler bagged Soumya Sarkar and Yasit Ali to draw level with Pieter Seelaar on 58 T20 wickets, taking 22 fewer games to get there.

He helped tame the Bangladesh batsmen who struggled for momentum with Afif Hossain top-scoring with 38 and Bas De Leede also taking two wickets.

After losing the toss and being sent into bat, Bangladesh plundered 12 off Fred Klaassen's opening over and kept the pressure on as the bowlers struggled to maintain their line. 

With temperatures hovering around 12 degees Celsius (54 degees Fahrenheit), the Dutch took time to warm up but when Van Meekeren switched ends he found extra pace and Soumya Sarkar (14) in the sixth over, mis-timing a pull shot to De Leede.

Spinner Tim Pringe was brought on and ended fellow opener Najmul Shanto's innings on 25 in the next over, caught by Lorgan van Beek after an attempted sweep as Bangladesh faltered at 49-2.

The momentum swung towards the Dutch with dangerman Litton Das out for nine, slapping a Van Beek ball to Tim Cooper at mid-off, before the experienced Shakib Al Hasan fell four balls later, caught in the deep off Shariz Ahmad.

It was 19-year-old spinner Ahmad's maiden World Cup wicket to leave Bangladesh at 70-4 before a brief rain interruption.

They returned and van Meekeren struck again, clean bowling Yasir Ali with a yorker to draw level with Seelaar.

Hossain (38) and Nurul Hasan (13) put on 44 before De Leede removed them both in the same over as their innings drew to a close.