After making their way into the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup by finishing second in their group, the Netherlands will square off against Bangladesh at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Monday in the Super 12 stage of the tournament.
The Netherlands were winless in their group-stage qualifiers in 2021. Bangladesh, on the other hand, finished second in their group and clawed their way into the next round but lost all of their five encounters a year prior.
The Netherlands started their 2022 World T20 campaign with a three-wicket win over UAE in a low-scoring thriller. They scratched their way over Namibia with only 3 balls remaining while chasing 122. But, they fell short by 16 runs against Sri Lanka in their final encounter.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, played 5 T20Is in the month of October but was unable to win a single match. They were beaten twice by New Zealand and Pakistan each in a tri-series before Afghanistan humbled them by 62 runs.
The group also consists of India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Zimbabwe and only two of the participating six nations will qualify for the semi-finals. Bangladesh and the Netherlands will be eyeing a win to kickstart their campaign on a positive note as their fixtures get tougher.
Team News
Soumya Sarkar got called up for the T20 World Cup at the last moment
Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam joined Bangladesh as replacements for Sabbir Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin, who were named initially in the World Cup squad. The latter two names have been omitted owing to their poor performances.
Bangladesh is known for promoting Mehidy Hasan Miraz up the order as a pinch-hitter and things can be no different in Australia. Soumya Sarkar and Litton Das should back him up with Shakib Al Hasan batting at the pivotal No.4 spot. Bangladesh’s middle order is a cause for concern as the likes of Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali, and Nurul Hasan have rarely stepped up.
In the bowling department, apart from Taskin Ahmed, they have no one to fall back on. Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam should be ready to support him to bring joy to Bangladeshi fans.
The Netherlands have more or less their playing eleven figured out with Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit Singh opening the innings. The strength of the middle order lies in the combination of Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper, and Scott Edwards.
In the bowling department, Paul van Meekeren has been among the wickets. However, he is incomplete without the support of Tim Pringle, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaasen, and Roelef van der Merwe.
Head to Head record
This will be the fourth encounter between Bangladesh and the Netherlands with the former winning two of them while the latter gaining the upper hand only once. The two teams faced each other last time all the way back at the 2016 World T20 Cup in Dharamshala.
Batting first, Bangladesh put a score of 153 on the board for the loss of seven wickets as Tamim Iqbal’s unbeaten knock of 83 off 58 balls stood out. The rest of the Bangladeshi batters were unable to cross the 15-run mark.
However, a disciplined bowling effort with Mashrafe Mortaza conceding only 14 runs from his spell of four overs proved to be the difference as the Netherlands were restricted to 145/7.
Key Players
Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh’s go-to man in the tournament
Shakib Al Hasan: In a side struggling with form and experience, Shakib is the only guiding light for them as his performance with bat and ball can make or break this team. He scored 68 runs with the bat from 42 balls in Bangladesh’s tie against Pakistan which saw him hit seven fours and three sixes. However, he was unable to pick a wicket with the ball and conceded 28 runs from his spell of three overs.
Bas de Leede: Like Bangladesh, the Netherlands are reliant on an all-rounder with Bas de Leede harbouring heavy expectations. Having picked up seven wickets from three matches and notched 58 runs with the bat. De Leede provides stability in the No.3 spot should things go awry at the top.
Predicted Playing XI
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam
Netherlands: Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards, Paul van Meekeren, Tim Pringle, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaasen, Roelef van der Merwe
Prediction
The Netherlands must be buoyed by confidence after beating Namibia and UAE but Bangladesh doesn’t have a single victory to their name in the month of October 2022. Going by the form and the fact that the Netherlands have adjusted better to the surroundings, we predict the Dutch to win the contest.
