Bangladesh secured a 25-run triumph over the Netherlands in their third match of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday. This victory marked their second win in the competition, enhancing their prospects of advancing further in the tournament.
Asked to chase 160, the Netherlands stumbled early as openers Michael Levitt (18 off 16) and Max O’Dowd (12 off 16) were dismissed, leaving their side at 32-2 in 5.4 overs. Despite a promising 37-run partnership between Vikramjit Singh and Sybrand Engelbrecht, the Dutch continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Singh's brisk 26 off 16 balls and Engelbrecht's solid 33 off 22 provided some resistance, but their efforts fell short as the Netherlands concluded their innings at 134-8 in 20 overs.
For Bangladesh, Rishad Hossain delivered a standout performance with the ball, claiming three crucial wickets. Taskin Ahmed contributed with two wickets, while Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Mahmudullah each chipped in with one wicket.
Earlier, Bangladesh's innings had a rocky start, losing captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Liton Das early on. However, a stabilizing 48-run partnership between Tanzid Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan turned the tide. Tanzid's quickfire 35 off 26 balls and Shakib's top-score of 64 off 46 balls laid a strong foundation. Mahmudullah's 25 off 21 and a swift cameo from Jaker Ali (14 off 7) propelled Bangladesh to a competitive 159-5.
In the bowling department for the Netherlands, Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren each took two wickets, while Tim Pringle claimed one.
With this win, Bangladesh now stands with two victories in the tournament, bolstering their chances of progressing to the Super 8 stage.
Playing XIs
Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Netherlands: 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O'Dowd, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Tim Pringle, 9 Aryan Dutt, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian Kingm
