Tigers in control as Dutch openers sent back

Taskin Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Sakib struck to reduce the Netherlands, who are chasing 160, to 36-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Shakib Al Hasan’s first half-century since October 2022 helped Bangladesh set a target of 160 for the Netherlands in a crucial T20 World Cup match at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown. 

Shakib hit nine fours as he returned to form with a masterful 64* off 46.

Bangladesh had the worst possible start against the Netherlands in a crucial T20 World Cup clash as their captain Najmul Hossain Shanto gifted his wicket early, much to the delight of the Dutch.

The Tigers stuck to the all-left hander combination of openers despite the prospect of facing off-spinner Aryan Dutt early. Shanto went for the reverse sweep first up and hit the ball straight to first slip.

Litton went for the sweep early in his innings off Dutt, trying to take advantage of the positive match-up, but Sybrand Engelbrecht took an absolute screamer to dismiss the Bangladesh number three.

Tanzid and Shakib, despite losing the openers, played their natural game. The Netherlands tried to attack them by short-pitched bowling but the duo was equal to the task.

Bangladesh scored 54 runs for the loss of two wickets in the powerplay despite an unfavourable start.

Shakib, in particular, got going with a 19-run over off pacer Logan van Beek. He played cut and pull shots in that over against short balls, his nemesis lately. 

Tanzid, on the other hand, was the first to counterattack. After his captain Shanto’s dismissal, the southpaw took down Vivian Kingma and played the opponent’s best bowler Dutt fairly well. He hit five fours and a six in his vital knock. 

But the short ball worked in the end for the Netherlands and Paul van Meekeren as Tanzid (35 off 26) pulled the ball, but not with conviction, and lost his wicket. 

The left-handed duo added 48 off just 32 balls. 

Towhid Hridoy was tied down by the Netherlands spinners and in the end he was cleaned up by Tim Pringle as he shaped for a cut shot in a delivery too close to cut. Hridoy’s dismissal left Bangladesh in a spot of bother at 89-4 in the 13th over.

Bangladesh struggled to hit the older ball and the scoring rate was under a run-a-ball in the middle phase (7-15) and they needed some big overs to go past the 150-run mark.

Mahmudullah (25 off 21) and Jaker Ali struck a few lusty blows before Shakib’s array of cheeky shots in the final over to take Bangladesh to 159-5.