Bangladesh started the seventh edition of the T20 World Cup with a shameful rate. Mahmudullah-Sakib lost to Scotland by 6 runs in their first match in the qualifying round on Sunday.
Scotland batted first and scored 140 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs. In reply Bangladesh managed to score 134 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs.
Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad won the toss and elected to field first at Al Amera Cricket Ground in Oman. Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed gave 4 runs with the ball in the first over. In the next over, Mustafizur Rahman got the maiden over without 1 run from leg-by.
Scotland were under pressure as they did not score in the first two overs. Pace all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin added to the pressure in the third over. Saifuddin bowled Kyle Quetzer before opening the scoring with a great yorker.
After that, another opener George Munsey fought hard to save the team from the pressure. He hit 2 sixes and 1 four in the power play. Matthew Cross, the wicketkeeper who came down to number three with 1 four. Scotland returned to the match with 44 runs for 1 wicket at the end of 7 overs. After that, Bangladesh was desperate to break the frozen Munse-cross alliance.
Off-spinner Mahedi Hasan fulfilled Bangladesh’s expectations. Mahedi took 2 wickets in his first and eighth overs of the innings. Mahedi dismissed Munse-Cross for 45 and 46 runs. Cross made 11 runs in 1 four off 17 balls. Munse made 29 off 23 balls with two fours and sixes.
Bangladesh became confident by catching two sets of batsmen. Naman Mahedi and Shakib Al Hasan made a small collapse in the middle-order of Scotland. Shakib took 2 wickets and Mahedi took 1 wicket. Scotland lost 6 wickets for 53 runs at one stage.
Chris Graves and Mark Watt took the helm of the team. Graves brought the capital to fight Scotland by batting in a violent mood. Graves made 45 off 26 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes. Watt made 22 runs from 17 balls. In the end, the Scots scored 140 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs.
Mahedi of Bangladesh took 3 wickets, Mustafiz-Sakib took 2 wickets and Taskin-Saifuddin took 1 wicket each. Shakib is now the highest wicket taker in the history of international T20 cricket with 2 wickets. Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga fell behind.
Bangladesh could not make a good start by playing for the target of 141 runs to win. Two openers returned to the pavilion for 18 runs. Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar both scored five runs.
Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim took the helm of the team after losing 2 wickets in 21 balls. They are careful to deal with the Scottish bowlers. The main goal of the Shakib-Mushfiqur duo was to survive on the wicket. After pairing in the fourth over, Shakib and Mushfiqur could not achieve any boundary or over boundary till the eighth over. Mushfiqur hit two sixes in a row in the ninth over.
However, Bangladesh suffered a major blow in the 12th and 14th overs. Shakib, who made 20 off 28 balls, and Mushfiqur, who made 38 off 36 balls, became the first. Shakib had 1 four in his innings and Mushfiqur had 1 four and 2 sixes in his innings.
Bangladesh lost the fourth wicket by 64 runs after the departure of Shakib and Mushfiqur. In such a situation, Bangladesh needs 54 runs from the last 30 balls to win. Afif Hossain was on the wicket with captain Mahmudullah at that time. Mahmudullah-Afif scored 12 runs with 2 fours in the 17th over.
Afif was dismissed in the 18th over. He made 18 runs from 12 balls in 2 fours. Even after Afif returned, Bangladesh was waiting for Mahmudullah’s captain Knock. With the late cameo of wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan. Which Nurul did in the unofficial match against Oman ‘A’ team.
But the 19th Bangladesh dream was shattered by Scotland’s right-arm pacer Brad Wheel. Wheel dismissed Nurul in the second ball and Mahmudullah in the fifth. Mahmudullah made 23 and Nurul made 2 runs in four sixes off 22 balls. Bangladesh needed 24 runs to win the last over.
Saifuddin’s boundary came in the second ball of the last over, then the boundary came from Mahedi’s bat in the fourth ball. Bangladesh could not touch the target thrown by Scotland. In the end, the Tigers scored 134 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs.
Mahedi remained unbeaten on 13 off four balls with one six off 5 balls and Saifuddin remained unbeaten on 5 off 2 balls. Wheel of Scotland took 3 wickets for 24 runs.
