Bangladesh beat Netherlands, send Sri Lanka crashing

Bangladesh secured two points when they defeated the Netherlands at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground in yesterday’s 2024 ICC Men’s T/20 World Cup Group D clash. The win has sent former champions, Sri Lanka crashing out of the tournament; the first team to be eliminated from Group D.

After more than a decade international cricket returns to Arnos Vale…the toss taken this morning between Bangladesh and Netherlands (Photo by Robertson S. Henry)

Before a boisterous crowd, boosted by scores of school children who supported both teams, Bangladesh ensured that the Netherlands posed no threat to their 2024 ICC Men’s T/20 Cricket World Cup Super-8 ambitions with a 25-run victory, a result which at times seemed headed the other way.

The Netherlands won the toss and inserted the Asians on a strip which was an unknown quality.

It was an historic event as this was the first time St. Vincent and the Grenadines was hosting a Cricket World Cup game in the history of the Arnos Vale Playing Field since its construction in 1981. It was also a return to international cricket for the first time in more than a decade to the picturesque ground as the venue played host to a few warm up matches in the 2007 World Cup 50 Overs Tournament. Batting first, after being inserted by the Netherlands, Bangladesh reached 159 for 5 off their 20 overs; Shakib Al Hasan top-scoring with an aggressive 64 not out laced with 9 fours; his first 50 in 20 T/20 International innings. Tanzid Hasan contributed 35, and Mahmudullah 25.

Bowling for the Netherlands, Paul van Meekeren took 2 for 15; Aryan Dutt took 2 for 17; and Tim Pringle 1 for 26, with 10 extras bowled.

In response, the Netherlands were restricted to 134 for 8 in their 20 overs, as Rishad Hossain with 3 for 33; Taskin Ahmed 2 for 30; and a wicket apiece by Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Mahmudullah, restricted the Dutchmen’s response on a lively wicket.

Sybrand Engelbrecht top-scored with 33, which included 3 fours and 1 six. Vikramjit Singh slammed 3 sixes in his 26, while Michael Levitt made 18 at the top of the order, but the experience of the Bangladesh players was the deciding factor in the back end of the innings when 36 runs were needed off the last two overs.

In a post-match press conference, man-of-the match, Shakib concluded he, “Won’t say it was a winning total but…” the bowlers “chipped in perfectly” for a win.

Head coach of the Netherlands, Ryan Cook at the post-match press conference was very blunt in his assessment, saying, “I think probably on that wicket, assessing it when both teams have batted, they probably got too many runs there, or couple too many big overs. And this is a nature of the chase. That was always going to be challenging, especially at the back end with some of the experienced bowlers”.

Bangladesh take on Nepal on Sunday June 16,2024, at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground in a night game, while the Netherlands travel to do battle with Sri Lanka, in Saint Lucia, also on Sunday.