Bangladesh’s victory over the Netherlands in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at Arnos Vale Ground, with Rishad Hossain taking three wickets and Shakib Al Hasan scoring an unbeaten 64, has boosted their chances of advancing to the Super 8 stage. The win also resulted in former champions Sri Lanka being the first team eliminated from Group D. Bangladesh’s two-point gain in Group D has solidified their position in second place in the standings. Veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain played crucial roles in keeping Bangladesh competitive in the tournament.
The Netherlands put up a fight, but Bangladesh ultimately proved too strong. The match hung in the balance when the Netherlands required 56 runs off 36 balls with 7 wickets in hand. However, their momentum shifted after the dismissal of Sybrand Engelbrecht for 33, who had been batting well.
Rishad Hossain maintained his composure despite some setbacks and took three crucial wickets, including that of Engelbrecht. Mustafizur Rahman delivered an exceptional performance with the ball, conceding just 12 runs in his spell and claiming one wicket.
In pursuit of a target of 160, the Netherlands struggled during the Powerplay and lost both openers early with few runs on the board. Vikramjit Singh and Sybrand Engelbrecht then steadied the innings, but Singh departed just as he was becoming threatening.
Captain Scott Edwards took charge and supported Engelbrecht, who was scoring boundaries effectively. The Netherlands positioned themselves well, but suffered a setback with the loss of two wickets in a single over, which set them back once again. Edwards’ dismissal proved to be decisive, as the Netherlands could not recover from the subsequent batting collapse.
Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan’s unbeaten 64 off 46 deliveries propelled Bangladesh to a competitive total of 159/5. Contributions also came from Tanzid Hasan (35), Mahmudullah (25), and Jaker Ali (14) after Bangladesh chose to bat first.
The Dutch team relied heavily on pace, with off-spinner Aryan Dutt (2/17 in 4 overs) and medium-pacer Paul van Meekeren (2/15 in 4 overs) emerging as their most effective bowlers.
Dutt posed challenges during the Powerplay, dismissing Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das, the latter falling to an outstanding catch by Sybrand Engelbrecht.
The match briefly paused for a helmet inspection after Tanzid Hasan had a bouncer lodge in his grill. Hasan quickly touched the ball to the ground to prevent any potential controversy regarding a catch claim upon its removal.
A dynamic partnership between Tanzid Hasan (35 off 26) and Shakib Al Hasan propelled Bangladesh to a competitive total. Paul van Meekeren’s catch in the deep slowed Bangladesh’s scoring rate, dismissing Tanzid Hasan, while Tim Pringle removed the well-set Towhid Hridoy. Spin proved effective for the Dutch on a challenging surface.
Shakib Al Hasan’s outstanding unbeaten 64* off 46 deliveries was pivotal in Bangladesh reaching 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).
