Home ›› 22 Oct 2021 ›› Front
Shakib Al Hasan was once again the star of the show as Bangladesh sealed their spot in the Super 12 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup with an 84-run win over Papua New Guinea in Oman on Thursday.
After putting up 181-7 on the board, the Tigers bowled out World Cup debutants Papua New Guinea for 97 to seal the win.
Bangladesh now look at the match between Scotland and Oman to see where they will end up. If Oman win, Bangladesh have the chance to go through as group champions because of a superior net run rate and end up in Group 2. If Scotland win, the Tigers will go through as group runners-up and end up in Group 1.
Shakib starred in the second match in a row as he scored 46 runs with the bat before picking up four wickets with the ball to dismantle the Papua New Guinea batting lineup.
Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad played a crucial knock as his 50 off 28 deliveries set up the stage for a grand stage finish, which Afif Hossain (21 off 14) and Mohammad Saifuddin (19* off 6) provided to take Bangladesh to 181.
In reply, Papua New Guinea were nowhere near competing as they lost wickets in heaps, and only two of their batsmen managed to reach double figures before bundling out for 97. Only Kiplin Doriga showed some respite as he stayed unbeaten on 46.
Besides Shakib’s four wickets, Taskin Ahmed and Saifuddin picked up two wickets each, whereas Shak Mahedi Hasan picked one.
This was also Bangladesh’s largest victory by the margin of runs in Twenty20 internationals.
Winning the toss, Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah opted to bat first again after the Tigers fielded an unchanged XI.
Mohammad Naim, after his 64 against Oman, went back for a duck in the second ball of the innings as Bangladesh’s opening woes continued. But a 50-run stand between Liton Das (29) and Shakib calmed nerves down before Liton got out handing a dolly to square leg.
Shakib, struggling with the humidity in Muscat, kept the scoreboard ticking before getting out to Vala, courtesy of a brilliant catch from Charles Amini at long-on. In between Liton and Shakib, Mushfiqur Rahim (5) returned too as his lean patch continued.
It was Mahmudullah’s knock that provided Bangladesh with the momentum. His 27-ball fifty set the stage for a good finish, but Mahmudullah could not capitalise himself as he was out right after picking up his sixth T20I fifty. And then, cameos from Afif and Saifuddin took Bangladesh to 181-7.
In reply, Papua New Guinea lost their first wicket to Saifuddin in the third over, and that let the floodgates open. Nurul Hasan Sohan’s brilliant catch off Taskin’s bowling sent Vala back, and Naim then took another stunner to hand Shakib his first wicket.
Shakib struck thrice in quick succession, and along with Mahedi dismissing Norman Vanua, Papua New Guinea were reduced to 29-7 in no time.
From there on, it was a lone battle from Doriga, whose 46 runs off 34 deliveries took Papua New Guinea to 97 before being bowled out in the final over of the match.
