Bangladesh put aside some of the recent woes with a winning start in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup.
The Tigers registered a two-wicket victory against former champions Sri Lanka at Grand Prairie Stadium Saturday [BST].
The victory however, came on the back of yet another dismal performance with the bat.
Winning the toss, Bangladesh chose to bowl first and led by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain’s three-wicket haul, the bowling unit held Sri Lanka to 124 runs for nine in 20 overs.
Chasing the low total, Bangladesh struggled to the shore losing eight wickets and with an over to spare.
Towhid Hridoy’s hat-trick of sixes in the 12th over off captain Wanindu Hasaranga appeared as the turning point that pushed the Bangladesh total close to the target.
Hridoy topped the Bangladesh innings with a 20-ball 40, laced with one boundary and four over boundaries.
Following the win and the celebration in the packed stands at the Grand Prairie, there was a common sigh of relief – the result could have gone the other way had the Lankans scored 20 more runs.
The game should never have been this tight for Bangladesh as they needed just 25 runs in the last five overs with Shakib al Hasan and Mahmudullah at the crease.
But Shakib then played an uppercut and saw Maheesh Theekshana take a diving catch at deep third.
Bangladesh then lost two wickets, Rishad [one] and Taskin Ahmed [nought], to Nuwan Thushara in two balls.
The Tigers required 11 off the last two overs with Mahmudullah and Tanzim Hasan Sakib [one not out] in the middle.
Dasun Shanaka was brought to the attack and it started with Mahmudullah hitting the first delivery for a six off a full toss.
The last five runs came in singles and a double in the last ball of the over amid overthrows by the Sri Lanka fielders.
Mahmudullah finished with an unbeaten match-winning 16 off 13 balls.
Bangladesh were in early trouble after losing opener Soumya Sarkar for a second ball duck in the third delivery of the innings.
Seven balls later, the score turned two for six as Tanzid Hasan Tamim [three] was sent back to the hut.
Skipper Nazmul Hossain Shanto’s [seven] struggle continued as the left-handed batter found himself back in the dressing room early once again.
Liton Das and Hridoy worked on the recovery taking the score to 91 from 28 for three.
The fourth-wicket partnership perished on 63 off 38 after Hasaranga pinned Liton [36 off 38] in front of the stumps.
Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers turned the tables and spoiled a good start by the Sri Lanka batters.
Opener Pathum Nissanka added a blazing 28-ball 47 but on the other end the wickets kept falling in regular intervals.
Rishad, the first specialist leg-spinner to play a World Cup game for Bangladesh, had made the most damage to the Lankan batting.
The young leggie was named player of the match for his three wickets at the cost of just 22 runs in four overs on a surface that had a little help for the bowlers.
The 21-year old struck twice in consecutive balls in the 15th over to get rid of Charith Asalanka [19] and Hasaranga [nought] and turn the momentum towards Bangladesh.
Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman bagged a wicket off his very first delivery, that of Kamindu Mendis [four], and finished with three wickets giving away just 17 runs in four overs.
Amid the success stories of the Bangladesh bowlers, Shakib though struggled.
The left-arm spinner was ineffective as he leaked 30 runs in three overs and later failed with the bat as well adding only eight runs off 14 deliveries.
Bangladesh will travel to New York Sunday for their second group game.
The motivated Tigers will take on South Africa Monday at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
