Dreadlocked plumber Austin Codrington took five wickets to inspire Canada to the first major upset of the World Cup on Tuesday as they beat test nation Bangladesh by 60 runs.
The 27-year-old took five for 27 as Bangladesh, chasing Canada's modest 180 all out, struggled on a bouncy pitch before being dismissed for 120 in 28 overs.
PHOTO: AFP
Hannan Sarkar and Sanwar Hossain, both with 25, were the only batsmen to offer any resistance as the Canadians backed up Codrington's accurate outswing bowling with sharp fielding in the Group B encounter.
"I am absolutely thrilled," said Canada captain Joseph Harris. "It's the first World Cup win for Canada and hopefully we can keep going in the same way.
"We just had to hope that our total was enough and, once we got early wickets, we had to keep the pressure on.
"The boys have worked hard to prepare for this tournament and it showed today. They [the boys]
fielded really well and the bowlers were magnificent."
Jamaica-born Codrington was delighted to celebrate his first five-wicket haul for Canada.
"In the conditions, all I had to do was bowl in the channel just outside off-stump, maintain line and length often enough and then good things would come," he said. "And they did."
Ian Billcliff top-scored for Canada with 42 but was one of two run-outs as the North Americans failed to bat out their full 50 overs.
The 30-year-old Billcliff, who has played provincial cricket in New Zealand, struck six fours in 63 balls before batting partner Ashish Bagai called him for a run in the 37th over, then refused to move.
Billcliff's dismissal followed that of St. Kitts-born Desmond Chumney, who blasted a quickfire 28, with three fours and a six, before running himself out in the 15th over.
Canada, whose only other World Cup appearance came in 1979, had made a flying start against some wayward Bangladesh bowling, reaching 70 for two before Chumney's departure triggered a collapse.
Bangladesh, the 10th and also the most recent addition to the test-playing nations, came into the match expecting to beat Canada convincingly.
The Bangladeshis, awarded test status in 2000, have not won a one-day international for 27 matches, a wretched run dating back to the 1999 World Cup in England.
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