Opener Tamim Iqbal struck an unbeaten 83 to guide Bangladesh past a spirited Netherlands by eight runs in their first group encounter of the World Twenty20 in Dharamsala, India, yesterday.
Put into bat, Bangladesh suffered from a lack of partnerships, but Tamim, with his fourth T20 half-century, almost single-handedly lifted the score to 153-7.
It was a disappointing show of batting from a side which sparkled in the recently concluded Asia Cup, where the hosts ended runners-up after a keenly contested final against India.
Tamin, though, remained unaffected with the wicket-fall as the left-hander smacked six boundaries and three sixes during his 58-ball stay.
Netherlands medium-pacer Timm van der Gugten led the charge with three wickets, as Paul van Meekeren and left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merve got three scalps between them.
The Netherlands batsmen also put up a brave show to give Bangladesh a run for their money, but ultimately experience prevailed and the minnows were restricted to 145-7 in their 20 overs.
Opener Stephen Myburgh provided a solid start to the Orange brigade and captain Peter Borren took it forward, but left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan’s twin strike put a lid on the Netherlands hopes.
In the end, lower-order batsman Mudassar Bukhari provided a scare with his five-ball 14, but his run out spelled the end for the Netherlands.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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