T20 World Cup: Bangladesh fall agonisingly short in low run chase against South Africa

Published at : 11 June 2024, 09:00 am
T20 World Cup: Bangladesh fall agonisingly short in low run chase against South Africa

Bangladesh nearly secured their first-ever T20 victory against South Africa in New York on Monday, ultimately falling short by a mere four runs in their second match of the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Despite losing all eight previous encounters with South Africa, Bangladesh came within a whisker of breaking their duck and securing their second World Cup win, reported UNB.

However, a spectacular catch by South African captain Aiden Markram denied them a rare triumph. Mahmudullah Riyad's shot off a full-toss by Keshav Maharaj sailed towards the boundary, but Markram's outstretched hand intervened.

Needing 11 runs in the final over to achieve the historic win, Bangladesh faltered. Keshav Maharaj bowled a wide on the first delivery but conceded just three runs and took a crucial wicket in the subsequent three balls. Despite needing six runs off the last two balls, Bangladesh could not deliver.

Before Markram’s second-last-ball catch, Bangladesh lost Towhid Hirdoy for 37— Bangladesh’s best scorer in the match. Had he lasted a bit longer, the result of the match would have been different. His dismissal to Kagiso Rabada was among the turning points of the match.

Bangladesh started cautiously, scoring only one run in the first over. Tanzid Hasan Tamim provided a brief glimmer of hope with two fours, but his innings was cut short by Kagiso Rabada, who dismissed him with an angled delivery that kissed the bat and found its way to the wicketkeeper.

Regular wickets and a slow scoring rate hampered Bangladesh's progress. Mahmudullah held one end securly, keeping the scoreboard ticking, but he could not see the team through to victory.

Bangladesh ended their innings at 109 for seven, succumbing to a narrow four-run defeat.

Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers, led by last-minute World Cup squad addition Tanzim Hasan Sakib, showcased a masterful performance on a pitch known to favor bowlers. South Africa were restricted to a modest 113 for six wickets in their 20 overs after electing to bat first.

Sakib delivered a remarkable spell, claiming three wickets for 18 runs in four overs. He cleaned up the top order for South Africa, including Reeza Hendricks and Tristan Stubbs for ducks.

 

But he would have most enjoyed the one of the dangerous Quinton de Kock, who was starting to look very threatening with 18 off 10 balls, but Sakib clean bowled him with a nippy delivery from round the wicket to the left-hander.


Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Rishad Hossain complemented Sakib with tight lines and lengths, restricting South Africa to less than 30 runs in the final five overs. The crucial dismissals of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller by Taskin and Rishad, respectively, further hampered South Africa's final efforts.

The Bangladeshi fans, who had filled the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium to the brim, erupted in cheers with each small success of Bangladesh. This was Bangladesh's first international match at the new venue, located approximately an hour's drive from Manhattan, the heart of New York.

Bangladesh will now travel to the West Indies for their next two group-stage matches against the Netherlands and Nepal. With a win against Sri Lanka already under their belt, another victory would significantly boost their chances of advancing to the next phase of the tournament.

Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Published at : 24 September 2023, 03:42 pm
Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

 

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:06 pm
Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:05 pm
Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.

PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:03 pm
PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Paris Saint-Germain got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday as a Kylian Mbappe penalty set them up for a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes.

The French champions had dominated the first half without overly troubling the Dortmund defence, but they went ahead four minutes after the break when Mbappe scored a spot-kick awarded for a Niklas Suele handball.

Achraf Hakimi added a memorable second, and PSG could have won the Group F encounter by a far more handsome margin in the end.

The result immediately puts them in control of the group, after AC Milan and Newcastle United drew 0-0 earlier, and coach Luis Enrique will hope they can build on this performance when they visit the English side next in a fortnight.

"It was an almost perfect evening," said Luis Enrique.