Tamim Iqbal led the Tigers with a brilliant knock to start their ICC World T20 mission with a winning note beating the Netherlands by eight runs in their first match of the first round at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharmashala in India on Wednesday.
With the win Tigers went one step ahead to qualify for the super ten.
Bangladesh posted a fighting 153 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs riding on Tamim's willow after they were sent to bat first. Chasing the target, Netherlands could hardly manage 145 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs.
The starting of the Dutch was careful as they added 21 runs in first four overs. Al-Amin presented the break through grabbing the wicket of Wesley Barresi (9) who was caught by Sabbir Rahman at deep square leg.
The second wicket stand of Stephen Myburgh (29) and Ben Cooper (20) was becoming a threat for the Tigers. Netherlands' hero of the last World Cup Stephen Myburgh started to hit big shots after being set. But Nasir forced him to stop his willow whirl as Nasir's delivery beat Myburgh's sweep to rattle into the stumps.
Ben Copper followed Myburgh soon becoming bowled by Shakib.
The Dutch skipper Peter Borren then tried to accelerate the run rate but the controlled bowling of the Tigers did not let him make the target touchable. In the fourth ball of the 16th over, bowled by Shakib, Nasir dropped Borren but in the last ball of that over Nasir made no mistake and Borren (29) walked off.
In the last four over Netherlands needed 42 runs with hard hitter Tom Cooper and RE van der Merwe at the wicket with six wickets in hand. The equation was quite reachable in T20 but Mashrafe bowled a brilliant over grabbing the wicket of RE van der Merwe giving only three runs to make the equation untouchable.
In the penultimate over, bowled by Al Amin, Mudassar Bukhari hit a six and two fours to keep their hope alive but Taskin bowled superb in the last over to seal the eight runs win.
Earlier, Bangladesh opener Soumya had a life but failed to utilise it and walked off scoring 15 runs when the team total was 18 runs. The T20 specialist of Bangladesh Sabbir started carefully but when he opened his hand he failed to survive for long. RE van der Merwe made Sabbir (15) and LBW victim after Sabbir hit him a six.
Shakib again disappointed with the bat getting out with only five runs. In form Mahmudullah (10) also failed to contribute much while Musfiq walked off with a duck. Then Nasir Hossain also went back with only three runs.
The run rate was slowed down losing three wickets. In the last two overs Mashrafe (7), Tamim and Arafat Sunny (8) hit a six each to take the total to 153 runs.
Tamim was brilliant with the bat on the as he opened the innings and was unbeaten till the end. More than fifty per cent of the runs came from his willow as he made a brilliant unbroken 83 runs off 58 balls with six fours and three sixes that made him man of the match.