T20 World Cup 2022, BAN vs NED: Bowlers' heroics help Bangladesh avoid the Dutch scare

Bangladesh celebrating a wicket [Source: Twitter]

The seventeenth Super 12 encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup saw Bangladesh edge past the Netherlands by nine runs. It was Bangladesh's first-ever win in the second round in T20 World Cup history.

Afif's fireworks ensure a fighting total for Bangladesh

After being put into bat, Bangladesh got a decent start, with Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto adding 43 runs for the opening wicket. However, Sarkar's departure triggered a collapse, that reduced the Tigers to 76 for five in the blink of an eye. 

Afif Hossain playing a shot [Source: Twitter]

With wickets tumbling at the other end, Afif Hossain decided to break the shackles, as he stormed his way through to a priceless 27-ball 38 with the help of two fours and as many sixes. His timely knock, combined with Mosaddek Hossain's unbeaten 12-ball 20, was pivotal in powering Bangladesh to 144 at the end of 20 overs. 

Paul van Meekeren stood out for the Netherlands with the ball, scalping two wickets for 21 runs. 

Taskin runs riot as the Dutch manage 135

Taskin Ahmed bowled an amazing spell [Source: Twitter]

The Netherlands began their chase terribly, as Taskin Ahmed removed Vikramjit Singh and Bas de Leede in the first two deliveries of the innings. Two veterans, Max O'Dowd and Tom Cooper, also recorded failures with the bat, managing 8 and a diamond duck, respectively. 

The misery only aggravated for the Dutch with time, as Scott Edwards, Tim Pringle and Logan van Beek packed their bags to the dugout cheaply. Although Colin Ackermann tried to rescue the team by playing a magnificent 62-run knock, his valiant efforts went in vain as the Netherlands fell short of their target by only nine runs. 

Taskin recorded a spectacular four-for, playing a significant role in Bangladesh's victory. 

Brief Scores

Bangladesh: 144/8 (20)
Afif Hossain 38 (27), Najmul Hossain Shanto 25 (20)
Paul van Meekeren 2/21 (4), Bas de Leede 2/29 (3)

Netherlands: 135 (20)
Colin Ackermann 62 (48), Paul van Meekeren 24 (14)
Taskin Ahmed 4/25 (4), Hasan Mahmud 2/15 (4)

Bangladesh won by nine runs. 

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