Hobart – Rain frustrated South Africa’s hopes of beginning their Twenty20 World Cup campaign with a bang as they shared the points with Zimbabwe after the match was washed out, but Bangladesh beat the Netherlands to win their first ever Super 12 game on Monday.
Quinton de Kock was unbeaten on 47 when the players were forced off for the final time in the second match in Hobart with South Africa, chasing a rain-revised target of 64 in seven overs, well on course to win at 51-0 in three overs.
Zimbabwe managed 79-5 after they elected to bat first but their innings only began after rain delayed it by two and a half hours.
The South African quicks had an instant impact with Wayne Parnell and Lungi Ngidi rattling the opposition top-order.
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Zimbabwe slipped to 19-4 inside three overs before Wesley Madhevere hit 35 off 18 balls and put on a 55-run stand with Milton Shumba, who made 18.
But De Kock’s 18-ball knock stood out before rain played spoilsport and the teams share one point each in Group 2 led by Bangladesh.
“I think from our side and from the team’s perspective what is disappointing is that before the game even started we were like ‘are we going to get a game today’,” South Africa coach Mark Boucher told reporters.
“And we get four-fifths of the way. We get so close and it gets taken away from you. That is probably the most frustrating part in the dressing room.”
‘Important win’
It was a celebration for Bangladesh with pace bowler Taskin Ahmed returning figures of 4-25 in his team’s nine-run win.
The Dutch, who battled through the preliminary round to reach the Super 12, held the Asian nation to 144-8 with Paul van Meekeren becoming his country’s joint all-time T20 wicket-taker along the way.
But they got off to a horror start in the run chase, losing two wickets off the first two balls to Ahmed then suffering two run-outs in one over to slump to 15-4 in cold conditions at Hobart.
Colin Ackermann with 62 played a lone hand, making his maiden T20 half-century as the Netherlands were all out for 135 on the final ball.
Veteran Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has played in every edition of the World Cup since its inception in 2007 and this was his first Super 12 victory.
“It was an important win, I’ve played all editions but haven’t won and that was on the back of my mind,” he said.
“Taskin has been a good bowler for us, he has the experience and pace. Most of the fielders in our team are agile and quick, in the field we can save five to 10 runs, and that could be the big difference.”
Defeat was a heavy blow for the Dutch with two points desperately needed in a group that witnessed India edge out Pakistan in a last-over thriller.
But it was relief for Bangladesh, who had suffered from poor form since the 2021 World Cup, playing 19 T20 internationals and losing 14.
Two run outs of Max O’Dowd and Tom Cooper in the fourth over saw the Dutch slip to 15-4.
Ackermann attempted to pull a rabbit out of the hat in his 48-ball knock laced with six fours and two sixes but the required run-rate was just too much.
“Our bowlers were quite amazing, but our run-outs were poor,” said Netherlands skipper Shaun Edwards.
“Hopefully we can bring in a better performance with the bat, looking forward to the next challenge (against India).”
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Source: AFP
Picture: Instagram/ @proteasmencsa
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