UNB, Dhaka :
Hosts Bangladesh qualified for the Super 10 of the ICC World Twenty20 despite an embracing two-wicket defeat against associate member Hong Kong in the last Group-A match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Thursday.
This is the first victory for Hong Kong in any form of international cricket after losing all the two T20 matches against Nepal and Afghanistan, and conceded defeat in all the four ODI matches — two against Pakistan, one each against Bangladesh and India.
Hosts Bangladesh would have eliminated from the shorter version of the World Cup Cricket had Hong Kong won the match within 13.1 overs giving a passage to Nepal. But Hong Kong could manage only 68 runs for 5 in 13.1 over confirming Bangladesh’s Super 10 berth.
Chasing an easy target of 109 runs in 20 over, Hong Kong reached their target scoring 114 for 8 in 19.4 overs with Haseeb Amjad made the winning runs with six off Abdur Rzazak delivery.
All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan made the early breakthrough claiming top three –opener Waqas Barkat (0), Irfan Ahmed (34) and Jamie Atkinson (7)-for 47 in eight overs.
Lower-order Munir Dar was the most successful among Hong Kong batsmen contributed 36 runs off 27 balls featuring three fours and a six while opener Irfan Ahmed made a good foundation of the innings scoring 34 runs off 28 balls hitting three fours and three sixes.
Nizakat Khan, with a patient 21-ball 12-run, was the other notable batsman reaching the double figure.
Shakib bowled devastatingly to claim three wickets for nine runs in his four-over spell, Mahmudullah captured two wickets for 13 runs, Sabbir Rahman, Al Amin Hossain and Abdur Razzak took one wicket each.
Irfan Ahmed made 34 runs off 28 balls with three fours and sixes before he was trapped lbw off a Shakib Al Hasan delivery.
Earlier, sent in to bat first, Bangladesh made a disastrous start losing two early wickets — opener Tamim Iqbal (0) and one down Sabbir Rahman (2) and Tanwir Afazal for three runs in very first over.
The Tigers dull performance continued in the lower orders too as they lost last seven wickets for only 23 runs within six overs with three batsmen– Forhad Reza, Abdur Razzak and Rubel Hossain-back to the dressing room with a duck following Tamim Iqbal.
Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfizur Rahim and Nasir Hossain made efforts to put up some resistance with their double digit score, but failed to steer the team towards a handsome total, despite 21 balls remaining.
Two down Shakib contributed 27-ball 34-run featuring six fours, opener Anamul Haque quick-fired 17-ball 26-run hitting three fours and a six. Captain Mushfiqur Rahim made 18-ball 23-run with three fours while Nasir Hossain remained unbeaten 14.
One down Sabbir Rahman (2), Mahmudullah (2), Al Amin Hossain (1) were the other contributors for Bangladesh while another six runs of the innings came from extras.
Bangladesh, which almost assured the Super-10 berth from Group-A, outplaying Afghanistan by nine wickets and Nepal by eight wickets, surprisingly played a foolish game with batting debacle against poor Hong Kong.
Nadeem Ahmed made the major damage in Bangladesh innings claiming four wickets for 21 runs in 3.3 overs, Nizakat Khan grabbed three wickets for 19 runs, while Tanwir Afzal took two wickets for 24 runs.
Later, Nadeem Ahmed of Hong Kong was adjudged man of the match.
