Bangladesh begin T20 World Cup with a win

Bangladesh began their campaign in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2022 with a nine-run win over the Netherlands at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Monday.

This is Bangladesh's first ever win in the second round of the competition. This is also their first win in the main phase of the tournament since defeating the West Indies in the very first edition back in 2007.

Taskin Ahmed starred with the ball, as his four-wicket haul helped Bangladesh bowl out Netherlands for 134.

Earlier, Bangladesh hobbled to a modest total of 144-8 with Afif Hossain being the only Bangladesh batter to cross the 30-run mark.

Bangladesh lost the toss and was asked to bat first by the Netherlands in their opening match of the Super 12 stage of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2022 at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart on Monday.

Bangladesh went with the opening pair of Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto.

Mustafizur Rahman also returned to the playing XI, while Mosaddek Hossain was preferred over Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman

Netherlands: Max O'Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards (c), Tim Pringle, Logan van Beek, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren, Shariz Ahmed

Soumya Sarkar struck two boundaries in the opening over from pacer Fred Classen, which yielded 12 runs for the Tigers.

Netherlands pulled it back in the following over from Colin Ackerman, where the openers could take only four singles.

Bangladesh lost its first wicket in the first ball of the sixth over. Soumya tried to pull a ball directed at his body, but could only manage to give a regulation catch to Meekeren.

Soumya couldn't really get going after hitting two boundaries in the opening over. He departs for a run-a-ball 14. Bangladesh reduced to 43-1. Liton Das replaced him at the middle.

Shanto couldn't cash in after getting a start, as the left-hander followed his opening partner to the dressing room in the very next over.

Shanto came dancing down the ground, aiming to send the ball to the stands, but could hit it only as far as the long on fielder.

Shanto departed for 25 off 20 as Bangladesh lost both its openers inside seven overs. Liton was then joined by skipper Shakib Al Hasan.

Logan van Beek struck a big blow to Bangladesh in the ninth over, as he removed the in-form Liton Das for nine.

Liton couldn't really get going in his 11-ball stay at the middle. He lost his wicket trying break the shackles with an aerial shot. But he miscued his stroke and was caught inside the 30-yeard circle.

The situation worsened for the Tigers when their skipper Shakib threw away his wicket the following over.

The left-hander hit a slog sweep off leg-spinner Shariz Ahmad, but was caught brilliantly by De Leede at the edge of the boundary.

Bangladesh lost the early momentum from the powerplay, which yielded 47 runs, and were reeling at 70-4 before rain interrupted the play.

The rain interruption proved to be a brief one as the rain drops stopped falling down almost immediately after the players left the field.

Afif and Yasir came back to the crease with a tricky task ahead of them.

Yasir Ali had no answers to an in-swinging fuller length delivery from Van Meekeren, which went through his defenses and rattled his stumps.

Bangladesh had lost half their side for 76 runs after 11 overs as Nurul Hasan replaced Yasir, who made only three runs.

Afif Hossain hit a four and a six off Shariz Ahmed in the 15th over, taking Bangladesh to 106-5.

Afif and Nurul added 30 runs for the sixth wicket till the 15th over and had the responsibility to lead the team's charge in the final five overs.

Afif was gifted a life on 28 in the 16th over, as Pringle dropped a tricky catch at the mid-wicket boundary.

Afif tried to pull Van Beek for a six, but couldn't time the shot properly. Pringle came running in to take the catch but couldn't hold on to the ball.

Nurul Hasan's stay at the crease ended in the 18th over, when he gave a simple catch to fine leg off Bas de Leede.

Nurul never looked comfortable in the middle, scoring 13 off 18 balls without any boundaries.

His departure ended the sixth wicket partnership between him and Afif for 46.

Afif couldn't cash in on his life, as his fighting innings ended on 38 off 27 balls.

Afif tried to pull a short ball from De Leede behind the wicket but was caught by the Dutch keeper.

Bangladesh reduced to 124-6 with two overs to go.

Mosaddek Hossain's unbeaten 20 off 12 balls helped Bangladesh go past the 140-mark.

Mosaddek hit a six and took a a couple of twos to take 10 runs in the final over from De Leede.

The innings started with promise, with the Tigers getting a 40-plus partnership for the opening stand for the first time since 2021.

But the early momentum was lost when the openers departed in space of seven deliveries. Other than Afif's 38 and a handy innings from Mosaddek down the order, the Bangladesh batters don't have much to show from.

The bowlers now had a huge task ahead of them as Bangladesh had never managed to defend so few runs in a T20 World Cup match.

Taskin Ahmed gave Bangladesh the ideal start defending a modest total, as he edged out Netherlands opener Vikram Singh first ball of the second innings.

Taskin induced an outside edge with a swinging delivery and Yasir Ali took a sharp diving catch.

Taskin didn't stop at one wicket, as he struck once again in his following delivery, leaving Netherlands shell shocked at 0-2.

It was another swinging delivery, which Bas de Leede chased after and could only give a catch to the wicketkeeper.

But Ackermann kept out the hat-trick ball, taking three runs from a straight delivery.

Shakib Al Hasan joined the attack in the fourth over and was greeted to the crease with a six by Max O'Dowd. But in the following ball, O'Dowd lost his wicket in a run out caused by a miscommunication with his partner Colin Ackermann. Afif Hossain threw the ball at the non-striker's end and Shakib did the rest.

Two balls later, Tom cooper also got run out while trying to go for a third run. Shanto threw the ball from the boundary and Nurul whipped off the bails.

Ackermann hit two fours off Taskin and one off Hasan Mahmud the following over as the Netherlands reached 32-4 at the end of the powerplay.

Taskin was Bangladesh's best bowler in the first six overs, taking two wickets while conceding 12 runs. Hasan conceded nine runs in his two overs while Shakib gave away 11 runs in his only over.

Ackermann and Scott Edwards tried to steady the Netherlands innings after losing four wickets for just 15 runs.

The duo added 36 runs off 38 balls to take the Netherlands to 51-4 at the halfway stage.

Bangladesh were left to defend 94 runs in the final 10 overs.

Bangladesh captain dismissed his Dutch counterpart Edwards for 16 off 24 balls, to reduce the Netherlands to 59-5 after 11.3 overs.

Edwards look a couple of runs the previous delivery with a reverse sweep. He tried the same shot the next ball, only to give an easy catch to Hasan.

Shanto dropped an easy catch at point, but Hasan got his man in the end when he shattered the stumps of Tim Pringle.

Bangladesh can now smell a victory, as the Netherlands are reduced to 66-6.

Rain interruption lasted 15 minutes and play resumed without any reduction in overs.

Netherlands need 79 runs off the final seven over with four wickets in hand.

Hasan got rewarded for tight bowling with his second wicket in the match, as he sent back Logan van Beek for two.

Hasan finished his quota of four overs with 15-2, which included a wicket maiden.

Meanwhile, Ackermann is unbeaten on 57 off 44 balls and is continuing his lone battle.

Taskin got his third wicket in the match, dismissing Shariz Ahmed for nine. Shariz hit Taskin for a boundary the previous delivery but in the following his wild slashed went up in the air and Hasan took the catch.

Three balls later, Taskin took the crucial wicket of Ackermann to end all doubts about the outcome of the match.

Ackermann, who made 62 off 48 balls, tried to pull Taskin for a boundary but was caught by Mosaddek.

Taskin has also bowled out for the day, finishing with his career-best figures of 25-4.

Soumya Sarkar was left to defend 24 runs in the last over. He leaked 14 runs in the first five ball before getting the wicket of Van Meekeren to bowl out the Netherlands for 134.