A Bangladeshi team, led by national Under-19 skipper Saif Hassan, finished second in Group B after defeating Sri Lanka and Australia on the opening day of the Hong Kong World Sixes at Kowloon on Saturday.
Eight teams – Pakistan, South Africa, Hong Kong, Marylebone Cricket Club, New Zealand Select,
Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka – are playing in the invitational six-a-side five-over-per-team tournament.
Bangladesh beat Farveez Maharoof-led Sri Lanka by seven runs in their first match before defeating Australia by six runs. In between the two wins, they lost to New Zealand Select by three wickets.
Skipper Saif struck an unbeaten 52-run as Bangladesh comprised 93-4 in their stipulated five overs against Sri Lanka before they restricted the opponents to 86-3 in their first match.
In the second match, Bangladesh scored 82-3 thanks to Mahidul Islam Ankon’s 32 but they failed to defend the score despite Afif Hossain took two wickets in the first two balls.
Brad Cachopa and Shanan Stewart scored 31 and 29 runs respectively to help Peter Fulton’s New Zealand Select team to recover from 2-2 to win.
In the final match of the group stage against John Hasting’s Australia, Bangladesh scored 88-2 after Afif made highest 34 runs.
Aussies were only 14 runs away before the final over to make their place in top four but Afif gave away only seven runs to register a dramatic win.
Pakistan and South Africa secured top two positions in Group A after Pakistan won all the three matches of the group stage.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of both Plate and Cup stages will take place today before the curtain falls of the two-day long tournament which was held after 2012.
-With New Age input
