Tigers tame Caribbeans

FE Team | Published: September 14, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 13 (bdnews24.com): Bangladesh rode on some stunning shots to pull off the second upset of the Twenty20 World Cup when they threw the West Indies out of the event with a six-wicket win in the delayed Group A encounter at New Wanderers Stadium Thursday.
Skipper Mohammad Ashraful led from the front with a thunderous 61 off 27 balls to power the Tigers to 165 for four with 12 balls to spare.
The mercurial batsman smashed pacer Fidel Edwards for a six to set the Twenty20 record for the fastest fifty in 20 balls, overtaking Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya who had taken 23 balls.
Earlier on the day, Zimbabwe stunned World Cup holders Australia with a five-wicket win.
Man-of-the-match Ashraful put on a priceless 109 with Aftab Ahmed who was not out 62 off 49 deliveries.
Bangladesh broke the voodoo of having never beaten the Caribbeans with an amazing allround display.
Pacer Ravi Rampaul sent openers Nazimuddin (1) and Tamim Iqbal (10) back cheaply to leave the side at 28 for two in four overs.
Earlier, Dwayne and Devon Smith clicked timely to propel the West Indies to a fighting 164 for eight in 20 overs after a delayed start because of a wet wicket.
Opener Devon Smith hit a chancy 51 off 52 balls, smashing six fours while lower-order Dwayne Smith blazed a hurricane 29 off just seven balls, clubbing four massive sixes and one four.
Pacer Syed Rasel justified his captain's decision to field first, getting dangerous opener Chris Gayle caught by Alok Kapali at point in the day's third delivery.
But the Bangladesh bowlers failed to break the second-wicket stand between Devon Smith and Shivnarine Chanderpaul early.
Smith and Chanderpaul repaired the initial damage to put on 95 runs for the second wicket before Abdur Razzak removed both Chanderpaul (37 off 31 balls) and Smith in the space of nine runs.
Marlon Samuels chipped in with a quick 27 off 14 balls, decking up two sixes and as many fours.
Left-arm spinner Saqib Al Hasan was the most successful Bangladesh bowler with figures of four for 34 in his four-over quota. Razzak finished with two for 25.
Occasional spinner Mohammad Ashraful, who was whacked for three consecutive sixes and a four by Dwayne Smith, was the most expensive bowler, conceding 55 runs for one wicket in four overs.
Rasel conceded just 10 runs in four overs in return for one wicket.