Bangladesh secure winning start against Netherlands

A rain-affected match in Hobart sees Taskin Ahmed claim 4 for 25 and the fielders make a major impact after a less-than-impressive batting display

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Hobart: Bangladesh 144-8, Netherlands 135 - Bangladesh won by nine runs

Scorecard

Bangladesh eventually saw off Netherlands after overcoming a brief scare in their Super 12s opener at the men's T20 World Cup.

The Tigers had Taskin Ahmed to thank after they made just 144 for 8 from their 20 overs batting first.

Reduced to 76 for 5, Afif Hossain hit 38 from 27 balls before Mosaddek Hossain's punchy 20 not out.

In the chase, Taskin claimed career-best T20I figures of 4 for 25, his wickets coming in clumps in the first and 17th overs, as the Dutch perished for 135.

A more than achievable chase was undermined in the space of 22 deliveries when Netherlands were reduced to 15 for 4.

After Taskin had Vikramjit Singh and Bas de Leede out edging for golden ducks, Max O'Dowd (8) and Tom Cooper (0) were needlessly run-out.

Colin Ackermann struck his best T20 World Cup score of 62 and gave his side brief hope of a miraculous victory but they were eventually bundled out but it was an otherwise spirited display.

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Bangladesh couldn't deal with Paul van Meekeren (DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite Bangladesh's seamers coming to the fore in the second half of the game, it couldn't quite mask over a batting display over which there will be plenty of concern.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar put on an opening stand of 43 but some excellent short-pitched bowling into a lively surface posed plenty of problems.

Paul van Meekeren was the pick of the seamers with 2 for 21 while Bas de Leede claimed 2 for 29 from his three overs.

Had it not been for Afif then the 2016 tournament hosts would have faced defending a substandard total. He hit Shariz Ahmed for two sixes and a four during a much-needed innings.

Netherlands will be wondering what if, however, after Tim Pringle dropped Afif on 29. He would go on to add another 10 runs, a critical figure in the overall assessment.

But when Bangladesh could finally celebrate their first second-round T20 World Cup win by nine runs, they had plenty to thank him for.


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