Rishad Hossain, Shakib shine as Bangladesh keep Super 8 hope alive, beat Netherlands by 25 runs

Kingstown [Saint Vincent and the Grenadines], June 14 (ANI): Rishad Hossain's three-wicket haul and Shakib Al Hasan's unbeaten 64 kept Bangladesh's hope alive of securing a place in Super 8 as Tigers defeated Netherlands by 25 runs in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at the Arnos Vale Ground on Thursday. With Bangladesh's victory, former champions Sri Lanka have become the first team to be eliminated from Group D of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.

Bangladesh won critical two points in Group D, strengthening their position in second place on the rankings. Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Ak Hasan and young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain collaborated on Thursday to keep the team alive in the tournament. The Netherlands were in it for a while, but Bangladesh proved too strong in the end. The match was in the balance at the stage when the Netherlands needed 56 off 36 with 7 wickets in hand, but things fell apart for them with the wicket of Sybrand Engelbrecht (33), who was looking good in the middle.

For Bangladesh, Hossain remained composed even after getting a few hits and picked up three crucial wickets, including the big one of Engelbrecht. Mustafizur Rahman was simply sensational with the ball and the bowlers conceded just 12 runs in his entire spell, bagging one wicket. Chasing a target of 160, the Netherlands struggled to use the Powerplay and lost both openers with little on the board. Vikramjit and Sybrand Engelbrecht worked together to keep the ship stable, but the former left just when he was becoming hazardous.

Then skipper Scott Edwards took charge and supported Sybrand Engelbrecht, who was smashing the boundaries. The Netherlands got them into a good position, but then lost two wickets in the same over, putting them behind again. Skipper's wicket was the final nail in the coffin for the Netherlands as they could not recover from the batting collapse.

Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan's brilliant unbeaten 64* from 46 balls enabled Bangladesh to reach a respectable score of 159/5, with contributions from Tanzid Hasan (35), Mahmudullah (25) and Jaker Ali (14), after the Dutch opted to field first. The Dutch relied on pace, with off-spinner Aryan Dutt (2/17 in 4 overs) and medium-pacer Paul van Meekeren (2/15 in 4) proving to be their most efficient bowlers.

Dutt proved tricky to get away in the Powerplay, taking up the wickets of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das, the latter succumbing to an incredible catch by Sybrand Engelbrecht. The game came to a brief standstill for a helmet check after a bouncer lodged in the grill of Tanzid Hasan, who rapidly rushed to touch the wedged ball into the turf to prevent any potential controversy over the chance of getting 'caught' when it was removed.

A furious partnership between Tanzid Hasan (35 from 26) and Shakib Al Hasan propelled Bangladesh to a competitive score. Paul van Meekeren slowed the pace of the runs when he caught Tanzid in the deep, and Tim Pringle struck to remove a well-set Towhid Hridoy, as spin proved the most successful tactic for the Dutch on a sticky surface. Shakib's brilliant unbeaten 64* from 46 balls enabled Bangladesh to reach a respectable score of 159/5.

Brief score: Bangladesh 159/5 (Shakib Al Hasan 64*, Tanzid Hasan 35; Aryan Dutt 2-17) vs Netherlands 134/8 (Sybrand Engelbrecht 33, Vikramjit Singh 26; Rishad Hossain 3-33). (ANI)