In Match 27 of the T20 World Cup 2024, Bangladesh faced off against the Netherlands at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St Vincent, on Thursday, June 13. The Dutch team, having won the toss, opted to field first. Bangladesh maintained their lineup from their previous match against South Africa, while the Netherlands made a strategic change by bringing Aryan Dutt into the team, replacing Teja Nidamanuru.
The Netherlands started their bowling attack strongly, with Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto being dismissed in the second over for just 1 run off 3 balls. This early wicket put pressure on Bangladesh, but opener Tanzid Hasan took the initiative to score aggressively. Litton Das joined him at the crease but struggled to get much of the strike initially.
When Das finally got the chance to face the off-spinner Aryan Dutt, he attempted a big slog sweep aiming for a six over deep square leg. However, Das’s shot lacked the necessary distance and ended up gaining more height. The ball was intercepted by Sybrand Engelbrecht, who executed an exceptional catch.
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Running in from behind square, Engelbrecht had to cover significant ground and dive full length to his left, making the catch a spectacular effort. The Netherlands celebrated enthusiastically, a testament to the quality of the catch, as the scoreboard read 23/2 in just 3.1 overs.
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Following Das’s dismissal, Shakib Al Hasan joined Tanzid Hasan at the crease. Shakib, who has been struggling with short-pitched deliveries throughout the tournament, managed to form a crucial partnership with Tanzid. Together, they added 48 runs off 32 balls before Tanzid was caught in the deep by Bas de Leede off Paul van Meekeren’s delivery in the ninth over.
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Towhid Hridoy then came in but could not contribute much, as he was bowled by Tim Pringle for a modest 9 runs off 15 balls. Mahmudullah joined Shakib, and the experienced pair put on a valuable 41-run partnership for the fifth wicket in 32 balls. However, Mahmudullah’s innings came to an end when he was dismissed by Van Meekeren, leaving Bangladesh at 130/5 in 17.3 overs.
At the time of writing, Shakib Al Hasan remained at the crease, having passed the fifty-run mark, providing a steady anchor for Bangladesh as they aimed to post a competitive total.
