Bangladesh pace bowler Taskin Ahmed claimed incredible figures of 4/25 to give his side a narrow nine-run win over Netherlands in their Group 2 Super 12 match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 at the Bellerive Oval.
Netherlands restricted Bangladesh to 144/8 in 20 overs after fast bowlers Paul van Meekeren and Bas de Leede took two wickets each in an impressive bowling performance before Ahmed bowled a match-winning spell to pick four wickets for the first time in his T20I career that included 16 dot balls.
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Hasan Mahmud also chipped in with two wickets while skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Soumya Sarkar took a wicket apiece. Netherlands’ innings was also deeply affected by two run-outs early in their chase. Colin Ackermann was the lone batter to put up a fighting knock for the Netherlands with a 48-ball 62 while Van Meekeren produced a late cameo of 24 off 14 balls, but their efforts went in vain as the Netherlands were skittled for 135 in 20 overs.
Defending 144, Ahmed dismissed Vikramjit Singh off the first ball of the innings, caught at first slip. He then followed it up with an outswinger that forced Bas de Leede to play at it, giving the keeper a regulation catch behind the stumps.
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Max O’Dowd and Tom Cooper were run-out in the fourth over within a span of three balls after a couple of mix-ups. Ackermann then took on the pacer striking boundaries while adding 44 runs for the fifth wicket with captain Scott Edwards.
Edwards fell reverse-sweeping to point off Shakib in the 13th over, before another collapse for the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Ackermann got to his half century with no support from the other end.
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Ackermann’s stunning knock came to an end in the 17th over when he holed out to deep mid-wicket, giving Ahmed his fourth wicket. Van Meekeren then hit three fours and a six, but slog-swept Sarkar to deep mid-wicket in the final ball of the innings to hand Bangladesh a winning start to their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign.
Earlier, Afif Hossain saw Bangladesh to a fairly decent total, top-scoring with 38 from 27 deliveries. Put into bat first, Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto smashed six fours together in a 43-run opening stand.
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Van Meekeren provided a breakthrough when he had Sarkar pulling straight to mid-wicket in the final over of power-play. Shanto slog-swept in the following over, but offered a catch at deep mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Tim Pringle.
Netherland looked to be gaining control of the match after Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan and Yasir Ali fell in quick succession to leave Bangladesh struggling at 76/5 in 11 overs. Leg-spinner Shariz Ahmad (1/27) got the huge wicket of Shakib in what was his first T20 World Cup appearance.
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However, Afif and Mosaddek Hossain (20 not out off 12 balls) elevated the total, producing some lofty shots and benefitting from three dropped catches by the Netherlands towards the end of the innings. De Leede dismissed Hossain and Nurul Hasan in quick succession to restrict Bangladesh to under 150, but the score was just about enough for them to earn two points.
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Brief Scores
Bangladesh 144/8 in 20 overs (Afif Hossain 38, Najmul Hossain Shanto 25; Paul van Meekeren 2/21, Bas de Leede 2/29)
Netherlands 135 all out in 20 overs (Colin Ackermann 62, Paul van Meekeren 24; Taskin Ahmed 4/25, Hasan Mahmud 2/15)
