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16-Mar-2014 12:30:00 GMT
Bangladesh v Afghanistan, World T20, Group A, Mirpur

Shakib Helps Bangladesh to Easy Win

Dhaka: Hosts Bangladesh made an impressive start in the World Twenty20 with a nine-wicket demolition of Afghanistan in the tournament opener in Dhaka on Sunday.

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan grabbed three wickets for eight runs as Afghanistan, sent in to bat, were skittled for 72 in 17.1 overs at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

The meagre total was the second lowest in the World T20 competitions, barely surpassing Ireland's 68 against the West Indies in 2010.

A sell-out home crowd of 25,000 then cheered every run as Bangladesh raced home in 12 overs, with opener Anamul Haque sealing the emphatic win with a six off Samiullah Shenwari.

Haque, who put on 45 for the first wicket with Tamim Iqbal, was unbeaten on a 33-ball 44 that was studded with three sixes and four boundaries.

With just one team going into the Super-10 stage from the preliminary group A that also has debutants Hong Kong and Nepal, the defeat left Afghanistan facing an early exit.

Shakib, who was named man of the match, said the turning pitch helped his team make a good start to their campaign.

"There was obviously spin out there," he said. "We put the ball in the right areas and that did the trick for us. This is usually a good track, but today it was different."

The Afghans, who had beaten Bangladesh in the preceding Asia Cup one-day tournament, faltered badly on Sunday to reduce a much-anticipated contest to a one-sided affair.

Skipper Mohammad Nabi admitted Bangladesh's spinners did not let his side settle down after hard-hitting opener Mohammad Shahzad had been dismissed off the first ball of the match.

Earlier, Bangladesh have won the toss and opted to bowl..

Teams

Bangladesh:
Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (capt. & wk), Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mahmudullah, Farhad Reza, Mashrafe Mortaza, Al-Amin Hossain, Abdur Razzak

Afghanistan:
Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Nawroz Mangal, Karim Sadiq, Shafiqullah, Mohammad Nabi (capt), Gulbadin Naib, Samiullah Shenwari, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Aftab Alam, Najeeb Tarakai

Brief scores
Afghanistan -
72 (Shakib Al Hasan 3-8)
Bangladesh - 78/1 (Anamul Haque 44*)
Result - Bangladesh won by 9 wickets
Points - Bangladesh 2, Afghanistan 0
MOM - Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)


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