Photo : Collected
In pursuit of another victory in the ICC World Cup 2023 after four consecutive defeats, Bangladesh restricted the Netherlands to 229 all out while bowling first in Kolkata on Saturday (28 October).
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the Netherlands failed to justify their decision, losing two quick wickets.
Taskin Ahmed and Shorfiul Islam each claimed a wicket within the first three overs.
However, the Netherlands put up a strong resistance. In the third-wicket partnership, they added 59 runs, with Wesley Barresi contributing 41 and Colin Ackermann scoring 15.
Scott Edwards, the Dutch captain, led their batting effort. He made 68 off 89 balls, while Sybrand Engelbrecht contributed 35 runs.
In the final over of the inning, Mahedi Hasan leaked 17 runs. If he had not conceded this many, Bangladesh could have restricted the Netherlands to a lower total.
For Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman was the standout bowler, taking two wickets for 36 runs in 10 overs. Shoriful, Taskin, and Mahedi also secured two wickets each.
Bangladesh made two changes to their playing XI for this match, bringing in Taskin and Mahedi to replace Nasum Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud.
Out of five matches played so far in this World Cup, Bangladesh has only won one. The Netherlands have also won only one match.
A victory in this match will keep Bangladesh's chances alive for qualifying for the next phase of the World Cup, but a defeat will almost certainly end it.
Messenger/Sun Yath
