The Hindu : Sport : Ashraful’s knock knocks out West Indies

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Ashraful’s knock knocks out West Indies

Smashes fastest half-century in Twenty20

— Photo: AP

SCINTILLATING STUFF: Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful is in full flow as he launches into the West Indian attack on Thursday.

JOHANNESBURG: Minnows Bangladesh pulled off an upset six-wicket victory over West Indies to become the first team to romp into the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup here today.

After Zimbabwe had thrown the tournament topsy-turvy with a stunning victory over World Champions Australia, it was the turn of Bangladesh to be the giant-killer, riding on half half centuries by skipper Mohammad Ashraful (61) and Aftab Ahmed(62).

West Indies bowed out of the tournament, having lost both their Group A league matches.

Bangladesh restricted West Indies to 164 for eight and reached the victory target with six wickets in hand and two overs to spare.

Ashraful blasted 61 off 27 deliveries and recorded the fastest fifty in a Twenty20 international that came in just 20 balls, while Aftab remained till the end, scoring 62 off 49 deliveries.

Ashraful's innings was studded with seven boundaries and three sixes. Aftab struck eight boundaries and one six.

Electing to field, Bangladesh bowled a disciplined line from the start. Left-arm pacer Syed Rasel bowled with amazing accuracy and gave just 10 runs in his quota of four overs.

Rasel removed the dangerous Chris Gayle, the centurion of the last match, in the very third ball of the innings and from then on West Indies were kept in a tight lease.

The second wicket stand of 95 between Shivnaraine Chanderpaul (37) and Devon Smith (51) kept the scoreboard ticking, albeit at a steady pace, before Dwayne Smith (29) and Marlon Samuels (27) notched up some quick runs.

Smith was particularly attacking and hit four sixes and one boundary. Samuels hit two fours and two sixes in his 14-balls stay.

Spinner Shakib-Al Hasan grabbed four wickets giving away 34 runs while Abdur Razzak returned figures of two for 25.

Bangladesh were slowed to get off the blocks and lost two early wickets that reduced them to 2-28. Ravi Rampaul removed both the openers --Tamim Iqbal and Nazimuddin.

The duo of Aftab and skipper Ashraful then came together and took the West Indies attack apart with their power-hitting.

Ashraful set the tone blasting Daren Powell for four consecutive fours. Fidel Edwards dropped Ashraful on 29 and that proved costly.

Aftab was sharp in picking deliveries from outside the off and swinging his bat across the line.

Ashraful's was the third wicket to fall but by then he had taken Bangladesh in sight of another famous victory. He left Bangladesh with the simple equation of scoring 28 runs in 32 balls.-PTI

Scoreboard

West Indies

C. Gayle c Kapali b Rasel 0 Devon Smith b Razzak 51 S. Chanderpaul c Mortaza b Razzak 37 R. Sarwan st Rahim b Shakib 5 M. Samuels c Shakib b Ashraful 27 D. Ramdin c Rahim b Shakib 2 Dwayne Smith b Shakib 29 Dwayne Bravo st Rahim b Shakib 2 D. Powell not out 1

Extras: (LB-2, W-8) 10

Total (for eight wickets in 20 overs) 164

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-95, 3-104, 4-126, 5-131, 6-155, 7-157, 8-164

Bowling: Rasel 4-1-10-1, Razzak 4-0-25-2, Mortaza 2-0-16-0, Reza 2-0-22-0, Shakib 4-0-34-4, Ashraful 4-0-55-1

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal c Chanderpaul b Rampaul 10 Mohammad Nazimuddin c Sarwan b Rampaul 1 Aftab Ahmed not out 62 Mohammad Ashraful c Gayle b Sarwan 61 Shakib Al Hasan c Powell b Sarwan 13 Alok Kapali not out 5

Extras: (LB-4, W-8, NB-1) 13

Total (for four wickets in 18 overs) 165

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-28, 3-137, 4-159

Bowling: Powell 3-0-28-0, Rampaul 4-0-35-2, Gayle 4-0-21-0, Edwards 3-0-33-0, Bravo 2-0-34-0, Sarwan 2-0-10-2.

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