MUSCAT, Oct 21, 2021 (AFP) – Shakib Al Hasan smashed 46 and had bowling figures of 4-9 as Bangladesh crushed Papua New Guinea by 84 runs to qualify for the Super 12 stage of the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday.
Chasing 182 for victory, PNG were bowled out for 97 in 19.3 overs to hand Bangladesh their second straight win of round one in Muscat.
PNG go out of the tournament with three losses.
The Tigers bounced back from an opening loss to register two convincing wins and the last one would have been bigger had it not been for Kiplin Doriga’s unbeaten 46.
“Every game we’re playing gives us into more confidence. Obviously it was a setback, the first game, but in the T20 format the team that is better on the day wins,” said man of the match Shakib.
“But now the pressure is off and we can play expressively. It’s not an easy format to get back into form, but luckily I’m getting more chance to bat up the order.”
PNG were never in the chase after losing their openers including skipper Assad Vala, for six, and Shakib’s introduction made matters worse for the World Cup debutants.
– Shakib equals Afridi –
Shakib, a left-arm spinner, struck twice in his first over and then took two more to equal Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi as the leading wicket-taker with 39 scalps in T20’s showpiece event.
Earlier Skipper Mahmudullah Riyad, who hit 50, and Shakib helped Bangladesh to 181-7 after they elected to bat first.
Afif Hossain’s quickfire 21 and an unbeaten 19 off 6 balls from Mohammad Saifuddin, who finished the innings with two sixes and a four, fired Bangladesh to the highest total of the tournament so far.
They lost Mohammad Naim for nought on the second ball of the innings and the wickets of Liton Das, for 29, and Mushfiqur Rahim, for five, as they slipped to 72-3.
The left-handed Shakib, who starred with bat and ball in the team’s previous win over Oman, hit back in baking hot conditions with three sixes in his 47-ball knock.
But an attempted fourth big hit got him caught at long-on off skipper Assad Vala, who returned figures of 2-26 with his off-spin bowling.
Mahmudullah kept up the charge and raced to his 50 with three sixes and three fours in 27 balls.
“I think the two things we’ve been concerned about are the first six overs with bat and ball,” said Mahmudullah. “If we get a good start, we can capitalise, so I think we need to improve on that.”
He then departed in controversial circumstances as he was caught by Chad Soper at deep square leg off what appeared to be a waist-high no ball from Damien Ravu.
Third umpire Chris Gaffaney initially gave the Bangladesh captain not out before changing his decision on the big screen.
Scotland, who beat Bangladesh in their opening match and have two wins in as many games, take on Oman in the second match of the day to decide the second team to fill a Super 12 spot from Group B.