Bangladesh crush Kenya

MATARA, Jan 21: Bangladesh routed Kenya by 125 runs in their second Plate group league match of the World Youth (U-19) Cricket Championship at the Uyanwatte Stadium in Matara today.

The outstanding victory of the spirited Bangladesh youths against their Kenyan rivals came as a compliment of their disciplined performance in a match where the Africans were outplayed in every department of the game.

The match petered into a one-sided affair when Bangladesh, defending 198 on a difficult wicket, shot the Kenyans out for a meagre 73 in 37.3 overs.

Sundries stood highest in both the innings (Bangladesh conceded 19 extras against Kenya's 37) but it hardly reflected the real picture of the match where Bangladesh played like a champion.

Skipper Hannan Sarker, who leads his side by example, won a good toss in the morning and decided to bat on a slow and turning wicket. Despite the slow outfield deprived Bangladesh of some 25-odd runs, batting looked insensible at some stage.

Left-handed opener Nahidul Haq gave Bangladesh a perfect start, putting on 42 runs off 46 balls with Selim.

Although Selim, promoted up in the batting order, failed again with the bat but Nahidul dictated on the opponent bowlers right from the beginning.

The southpaw hammered three eye-pleasing boundaries in his 31-ball 23 and appeared more confident in the company of Rajin Saleh, who came in to bat at number three after Selim departed for a chancy 11.

Together they produced 12 runs in no time and Bangladesh reached fifty in only 9.3 overs before Rajin departing sadly while chasing a non-existing second run. Nahidul, paying the penalty of playing across the line, perished in the very next ball after Rajin's departure. The scoreboard was reading then 54 for three.

Two successive blows stemmed the free flow of runs. Hannan and Kuntal withered away the pressure and helped Bangladesh cross 100 by putting on 51 runs for the fourth wicket.

Hannan, while on 17, tried to accelerate the scoring rate but was caught and bowled by off-spinner Nitin Patel.

The departure of the most experienced batsman however did not deter the determination of Kalim who celebrated his return to the playing eleven with a gritty 28, which was the highest contribution from the bat in both the innings. Kalim, coming in at the fall of Hannan, was ignored for the last three matches.

Kuntal scored a sedate but very useful 23 off 83 balls. Recalled for the match after being rested against Namibia, seamer Tariqul Hassan played a little cameo of 17-ball 19 and Bikash weighed in with an invaluable 21 off 27 balls.

Kenyan skipper Mohammed Sheikh finished with four wickets but Bangladesh still managed to score 50 runs in the last ten overs.

After the good work with the willow, Bikash and Tariqul gave Kenya no chance to score freely. Kenyans could garner only 17 runs in the first ten overs losing the wicket of opener Gore, who top-edged an attempted drive against Tariqul and Kalim took it beautifully at cover.

Although Bikash returned wicketless, his five overs yielded only 11 runs.

Anwar Hossain, coming in as first change, then ripped through the middle-order to finish with three for 21 in his ten overs.

He had one-down Collins Omondi trapped leg before for three and Nitin Patel magnificently caught by Hannan, who ran about 15 yards from mid-off to mid-on to take the skier just inches above the ground. Hannan also clung on to a fierce shot from Mohammed Sheikh, fielding at mid-on.

Tariqul, the meanest of the Bangladesh bowlers, not only passed the endurance test of bowling ten overs at a stretch but also got the reward of maintaining a tight line and length under the melting sun. He finished with two for 15.

Leg-spinner Mosaddek mopped up the Kenyan tail to return with fantastic figures of 4-3-6-2.

Among the Kenyan batsmen, opener Amit Bhudia scored highest 16 off 77 balls.

With this win, Bangladesh confirmed their place in the semifinals with one match in hand against Zimbabwe.

The match against Zimbabwe, to be held in NCC ground in Colombo on January 23, will also decide the champions from Group One.