NORTH SOUND: Pat Cummins’ hat-trick proved the highlight as powerhouses Australia predictably swept aside Bangladesh to make a winning start to their Super Eight, second stage campaign of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup here Thursday night.
Tasked with overhauling a mediocre 141, the 2021 champions were 100 for two in the 12th over when heavy rain arrived at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium to end the contest prematurely, earning them a 28-run victory under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
Opener David Warner orchestrated the chase, the veteran left-hander top-scoring with an unbeaten 53 off 35 deliveries to pick up Man-of-the-Match honours.
However, it was Cummins who grabbed the headlines, the right-armer knocking over Mahmudullah (2) and Mahedi Hasan (0) with the last two deliveries of the 18th over before prising out Towhid Hridoy (40) with the first ball of the final over as Bangladesh laboured to 140 for eight off their 20 overs.
“I didn’t know I was on a hat-trick. I did the previous over – I saw it come up on the screen and by the time my next over came around I totally forgot about it,” said Cummins.
“So I think (Marcus) Stoinis ran in from the deep, was cheering and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, forgot about that.’”
Sent in, Bangladesh lost Tanzid Hasan, bowled by left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc without a run on the board, but recovered through a 58-run second wicket stand between top-scorer and captain Najmul Hossain (41) and opener Litton Das (16).
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa (2-24) accounted for Najmul at the end of the 13th over before Cummins produced his fireworks to erase any hopes of a strong Bangladesh finish.
In reply, Warner set Australia’s chase in motion by belting five fours and three sixes in a 65-run, opening stand with Travis Head (31) before adding a further 31 in an unbroken third wicket partnership with Glenn Maxwell (14 not out).
Scores: BANGLADESH 140/8 off 20 overs (Najmul Hossain 41, Towhid Hridoy 40; Pat Cummins 3-29, Adam Zampa 2-24) vs AUSTRALIA 100/2 off 11.2 overs (David Warner 53 not out, Travis Head 31; Rishad Hossain 2-23).
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