Pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed's four-wicket haul was complemented by captain Liton Das's half-century as Bangladesh thrashed Netherlands by eight wickets in the three-match T20 International series opening game on Saturday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Taskin claimed 4-28 to help Bangladesh hold back Netherlands to just 136-8, a total that the hosts comfortably overhaul by reaching 138-2 in only 13.3 overs.
Liton Das hammered an unbeaten 29 ball-54, his 13th T20 fifty, equaling Shakib Al Hasan as the most fifty by a Bangladeshi batter in this format to lead the charge.
Following his return to the national team after four years, Saif Hasan shined in with both batting and bowling. He snapped 2-18 with the bowling and then followed it up with 19 ball-36 not out to play a second fiddle to Liton Das.
To make it more memorable, he clubbed consecutive sixes to sign off the game in befitting fashion.
Liton and Saif combined for a 46 off 26 for the undefeated third wicket stand to sail the side home and take 1-0 lead in the series.
Opener Parvez Hossain Emon scored 15 runs in the first over to give Bangladesh a fluent start in chasing. However, he was dismissed in the third over, without adding any runs to his 15.
His fellow opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim scored 29 and added 66-run with Liton for the second wicket to edge the side closer to the victory before Tim Pringle had Tanzid caught by Max O'Dowd at long on.
That mattered little as Saif gave Liton ably support in sealing the deal quite comfortably.
Earlier Taskin's third four-wicket haul and second against Netherlands since his 4-25 in Hobart during 2022 T20 World Cup, broke the spine of the Netherlands.
Saif Hasan also bowled impeccably to make the matter worse for the visitors.
Mustafizur Rahman picked up just one but strangled Netherlands batters with tight line and length that saw him conceded just 19 runs in four overs.
But after being put into bat first, Netherlands made a fluent start, thanks to opener Max O'Dowd who went after Bangladesh bowlers in aggressive fashion. Taskin Ahmed provided the breakthrough, dismissing O'Dowd after he made 15 ball-23 with three fours and one six. He followed it up with the wicket of another opener Vikramjit Singh, ending his painstaking stay in the crease.
Saif Hasan struck twice in his first over, getting rid of captain Scott Edwards (12) and Teja Nidmanuru who top-scored for Netherlands with 26.
Those two blows left Netherlands to 68-4 in 10th over. Netherlands batters could never recover from that collapse as they lost wickets at regular interval.
The second match is on Monday at the same venue.
Courtesy: BSS
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