Asia Cup: Bangladesh edge past Afghanistan to keep Super 4s hopes alive
Bangladesh beat Afghanistan by eight runs to stay afloat in Asia Cup.
New Delhi: Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by eight runs to remain in the race to qualify for the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
After posting 154/5, they bowled out Afghanistan for 146 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium for their second win in three matches to finish their Group B engagements with four points.
Afghanistan's defeate kept them at two points from a win in two matches, dropping them to the third spot behind Bangladesh in the standings, led by Sri Lanka four points from two matches due to a superior run rate.
Afghanistan now need to beat Ari Lanka in their third and final group game to have hopes of qualifying for the Super 4s.
Afghan spinners in form
Earlier, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan (2/26) and his fellow spinner Noor Ahmad (2/23) stifled Bangladesh to 154/5.
A 31-ball 52-run knock from opener Tanzid Hasan, including his 63-run opening partnership with Saif Hassan (30), lifted Bangladesh to 87 for one after 10 overs.
From there on the two Afghan spinners, in tandem with Azmatullah Omarzai (3-0-19-1), put a break in the run making through their disciplined bowling effort.
Tanzid struck four boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi in the third over after surviving a leg-before appeal to pick up Bangladesh's scoring rate after a sedate start.
Hassan then smashed AM Ghazanfar for a big six down the ground in the next over while Tanzid clubbed to maximums in the sixth over.
Rashid then broke the partnership as he crashed into the off-stump of Saif and diminished the run flow with accurate bowling.
Tanzid departed soon after Litton Das' dismissal as Noor climed both the wickets. Tanzid's mishit a big shot to be caught at long-off while Bangladesh captain Das missed a paddle sweep to be adjudged leg-before.
Rashid then had Shamim Hossain in leg before for 11 as Bangladesh slumped to 121 for four in the 16th over.
Bangladesh failed to up their scoring towards the later stages of their innings but managed to cross the 150-mark in the final over.