Australia vs Bangladesh T20 World Cup, Australia win by eight wickets, Adam Zampa snares 5-19
Spinner Adam Zampa bamboozled Bangladesh’s batters to set up a quick-fire run chase for Australia to re-energise their T20 World Cup campaign in Dubai.
A career-best leg-spinning masterclass from Adam Zampa followed by Aaron Finch’s deliberately violent assault with the bat catapulted Australia to a ridiculously easy belting of Bangladesh in Dubai and into the box seat for a T20 World Cup semi-final berth.
Coming off a thoroughly inept display against England last weekend, everything went perfectly to plan for the Aussies against Bangladesh - from the time they won the toss, dismantled the Tigers’ top-order and ultimately skittled them for a completely inadequate 73.
After entering the clash trailing second-placed South Africa in net run-rate by a decisive 1.369, Australia punched the numbers and worked out during the innings break that it needed to reel in Bangladesh’s modest total within 8.1 overs.
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Propelled by Finch, the Aussies did it with laughable ease, with 82 balls and eight wickets left in the shed to leapfrog the Proteas in the standings.Finch, who was forced to play a sheet-anchor opening role in last weekend’s big loss to England as wickets tumbled at the other end, bludgeoned Bangladesh’s bowlers from the outset.
Finch’s stand-and-deliver approach produced 40 off 20 balls, including four sixes.
Opening partner David Warner was less convincing, castled by left-arm paceman Shoriful Islam for 18, before recalled No.3 Mitch Marsh finished off the rout with a massive pulled six off Taskin Ahmed.
To make it unequivocal, Australia still needs to beat reigning champions the West Indies in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and preferably hope South Africa doesn’t snap England’s unconquered run in the last Group 1 fixture.
Bangladesh’s batters looked completely out of their depth with a flurry of poorly executed shots in the face of Australia’s hostile, relentless bowling attack, spearheaded by the brilliant Zampa, who captured a career-best 5-19.
Shamim Hossain’s 19 down the order and opener Naim Sheikh’s 17 were the best in another awful display with the bat for Bangladesh - rolled for 84 by South Africa on Tuesday - after slumping to 5-33 soon after the powerplay, and never really recovering.
SO CLOSE
Bangladesh’s batters simply had no answer for Zampa’s accuracy and subtle variations.
He dismissed Afif Hossain with his first ball - edging a wrong’un to Finch at slip - and continued taking poles.
He had Shamim caught behind by Matthew Wade before trapping Mahedi Hasan lbw with another googly the very next ball.
Zampa was unfortunate to miss the hat-trick - after Wade grassed the catch behind off a thick edge from Taskin.
And he let the Australian gloveman know about it.
“Tat was the hat trick ball,” Zampa called down the pitch.
“Yeah, I tried to catch it,” Wade replied.
STARC STEAMS IN
Described during the week by Test legend Shane Warne as being “nowhere” and described as “floating” to the crease by Mark Waugh, Mitchell Starc was back to his best on Thursday.
His first delivery was full, swung late and packed 145km/h of heat.
Starc started Bangladesh’s rot when he bowled opener Litton Das for a duck in the first over and looked to have his old rhythm back.
“I’ve had a few days to try to find some rhythm in my run-up,” Starc said, relishing the break after being walloped by England’s Jos Buttler in his last stint in the middle.
“We’ve had to put the last fixture (against England) out of our minds and come today to rectify that and “I’m sure we did that with the ball.
“To get some swing early is something I obviously try to do and I found a bit today which was really nice.”
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