Tigers scrape through to win against UAE in first T20I
After 17 overs, Bangladesh were 126 for five and in chase of Bangladesh's target, UAE reached the end of 17th over on 124 but they lost eight wickets to get there. Yet, in the end they pushed the Tigers right down to the wire in the last over before Shoriful Islam picked up two wickets in the last over to see the Tigers scrape to a seven-run win at Dubai International Stadium yesterday.
Starting the chase of 158 for five posted by Bangladesh, UAE openers Muhammad Waseem and Chirag Suri looked in control as boundaries boosted confidence in the early overs. Suri streaked a boundary off Mustafizur Rahman and then in the third over Waseem thrashed Mohammad Saifuddin for a four and a six to pick up tempo. Suri then smashed one back at Shoriful, who was able to get hand on the ball before it ricocheted to disturb the stumps at the non-striker's end with Waseem out of his ground. Waseem departed for a run-a-ball 15 but Suri then started taking apart the Bangladesh bowling, hitting three fours on the trot off Mustafizur -- two guided through point before flicking a round the wicket delivery over fine-leg for four -- to increase the tempo.
After seven overs, UAE reached 58 for 1 as Suri and Aryan Lanka produced 15 off a Nasum Ahmed over. The night however belonged to Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who turned the game in his side's favour. Suri, looking to go big, ventured down the stumps but was bamboozled by the off-spinner's straighter delivery to get out stumped for a 24-ball 39. Another over later, Aryan lost his cool and skied one trying to go against the spin and was holed out at short third-man. Miraz then produced a blinder of a catch at pointoff Mustafizur with the ball travelling fast. Miraz held on as Fizz bagged his first and the hosts lost their fourth wicket.
The chase fell away for UAE, losing wickets at regular intervals. Mosaddek chipped in with a wicket and then Miraz bagged his third, taking a swift return catch off his own bowling. Afif effected a direct hit from the boundary as UAE slumped to 102 for 7 in the 15th over.
Needing 54 off last five overs, Karthik Meiyappan managed boundaries off Saifuddin before Mustafizur struck in his last over to see UAE slump to 124 for 8 in 17 overs.
Catches were dropped and lacklustre fielding almost cost them the game in the death overs. Needing 11 off the last over, Saifuddin dropped a sitter in the second delivery to hand Junaid Siddique a life with only two wickets left and the match was hanging by the balance. Aayan Afzal Khan, who had smashed his way to 25, took on Shoriful in the third delivery but found Mosaddek at deep mid-on to depart with 8 needed from three deliveries. Shoriful managed to bag Junaid next delivery as Bangladesh scraped through to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20I series. Mehedi finished with three wickets for 17 in three overs while Shoriful bagged 3 for 21.
Earlier, riding on Afif Hossain's unbeaten 77 off 55 balls, laced with three sixes and seven fours and skipper Nurul Hasan Sohan's 35 off 25 not out, the Tigers posted 158 for five after an early batting slump saw them lose four wickets inside eight overs. Afif was awarded the player-of-the-match award for his unbeaten knock.