SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2016 SPORTS KOLKATA: Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim (R) falls as he attempts to run out New Zealand’s Ross Taylor during the WorldT20 cricket tournament match between Bangladesh and New Zealand at The Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata yesterday. — AFP Ruthless N Zealand thrash Bangladesh KOLKATA: New Zealand bowled Bangladesh cedings for more than 10 minutes. before he was also sent back to the Eden out for a record low of 70 as they cruised to a After the resumption, they continued to Gardens’ dugout at the end of Rahman’s first SCOREBOARD 75-run victory at cricket’s World Twenty20 yes- find the Black Caps’ bowlers pretty much spell. He was one of a number of the Black terday, maintaining their perfect record at the unplayable and their innings only featured Caps’ top order who promised to post a big KOLKATA, India: Scoreboard from the Group 2 match between New Zealand and Bangladesh in World tournament. one six, a late blow from Rahman. score but were out just as they had finished Twenty20 at Eden Gardens on Saturday: Allrounder Grant Elliott took three wickets The total was the lowest for Bangladesh in building their platform. for 12 runs in his four overs while Ish Sodhi any T20 international, with the record previ- Colin Munro had been warming up for his New Zealand Bangladesh Henry Nicholls b Mustafizur Rahman 7 Tamim Iqbal run out 3 chipped in with three for 21 as Bangladesh’s ously standing at 78. first substantial knock of the tournament. But Kane Williamson b Mustafizur Rahman 42 Mohammad Mithun b McClenaghan 11 quest for a consolation win ended in tatters. It heaps more misery on a Bangladeshi three balls after lofting Al-Amin Hossain into Colin Munro b Hossain 35 Sabbir Rahman c Santner b McCullum 12 The Black Caps, who had already qualified team who failed to win any of their games at the stands, he had his middle stump removed Ross Taylor c Mithun b Hossain 28 Shakib Al Hasan c McCullum b Santner 2 for the tournament’s semi-finals, had earlier the tournament and suffered an agonising by the same bowler. Corey Anderson b Mashrafe Murtaza 0 Soumya Sarkar st Ronchi b Sodhi 6 made 145 for eight at Eden Gardens with one-run defeat against India on Wednesday. The veteran Ross Taylor also contributed 28 Grant Elliott c Hom b Mustafizur Rahman 9 Mahmudullah b Sodhi 5 Mustafizur Rahman taking five for 22. But it means that New Zealand go into the last off 24 balls before being caught by Luke Ronchi not out 9 Mushfiqur Rahim b Elliott 0 Shuvagata Hom not out 16 But what had appeared to be a modest four in good heart, with skipper Kane Mohammad Mithun off Hossain. Mitchell Santner b Mustafizur Rahman 3 Nathan McCullum b Mustafizur Rahman 0 Mashrafe Mortaza lbw b Elliott 3 total soon proved to be too much for the Williamson beginning to find form after scor- No other batsman got into double figures Mustafizur Rahman c Ronchi b Elliott 6 Mitchell McClenaghan not out 6 Tigers who lost their leading batsman Tamim ing a brisk 42 off 32 balls at the top of the and Rahman bowled both Mitchell Santner Al-Amin Hossain b Sodhi 0 Extras: (4b, 1lb, 1w) 6 Extras: (5lb, 1w) 6 Iqbal in the second over, run out for just three. order. Williamson was the second New and McCullum in his final over although his TOTAL: (for 8 wickets) 145 Total: (all out) 70 Bangladesh were all at sea against New Zealand wicket to fall to Rahman, who finished last ball was hammered for six by Mitchell Overs: 20. Zealand’s quartet of slow bowlers and their with figures of five for 22. The opener Henry McClenaghan. Overs: 15.4. Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-57, 3-99, 4-100, 5-125, 6-127, 7- Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-29, 3-31, 4-34, 5-43, 6-44, 7-48, top score came from tailender Shuvagata Hom Nicholls, who was brought in to give Martin The victory ensures New Zealand top their 139, 8-139 8-59, 9-65, 10-70 who made 16. Only two others reached dou- Guptill a rest, was the first to go, bowled by pool and they are now likely to play one of Did not bat: Ish Sodhi. Bowling: Nathan McCullum 2-0-6-1 (1w), Corey ble figures. Rahman off a slower cutter with the score on England, Sri Lanka or South Africa in the first Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 3-0-21-1, Shuvagata Hom Anderson 2-0-7-0, Mitchell Santner 3-0-16-1, Mitchell After 11 overs they had made 45 for six and 25. semi-final in New Delhi on March 30. The sec- 3-0-16-0, Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-33-0, Mustafizur McClenaghan 1-0-3-1, Grant Elliott 4-0-12-3, Ish Sodhi then had to sweat it out in the dressing-room Wiliamson had looked in good nick in an ond semi-final is in Mumbai on March 31 while Rahman 4-0-22-5, Al-Amin Hossain 4-0-27-2 (1w), 3.4-0-21-3. after a floodlight failure brought a halt to pro- innings that included five boundaries and a six the final is at Eden Gardens on April 3. — AFP Mahmudullah 2-0-21-0. Result: New Zealand won by 75 runs. Afghans bid to sign off Australia take on India in do-or-die clash MOHALI: Australia will look to dump hosts India umphs in 2007 and 2015 and also starred during situation is to stay in the moment and not get in style against Windies out of the World Twenty20 tournament today in the team’s winning campaigns in the Champions carried away by the bigger picture,” Kohli said a do-or-die clash between cricket’s two biggest Trophy finals of 2006 and 2009. Saturday at a pre-match press conference. NAGPUR: Afghanistan will hope to catch South Africa, West Indies skipper Darren teams. A narrow win by India over Bangladesh, The Aussies have won two games in this T20 “Sometimes we forget to do what exactly we the West Indies with a hangover today as Sammy indicated his team would let their followed by Australia’s 21-run triumph against edition while going down to New Zealand, who need to do on a particular delivery, which could they look to sign off from cricket’s World hair down. Pakistan, has effectively reduced Sunday’s group have already qualified for the semis with three be a game-changing event,” he said. “This format Twenty20 with a much-deserved conso- “We are really going to celebrate this encounter into a knockout, with the winner wins from as many matches. requires you to be top of your focus and concen- lation victory. win because it was a really tough game,” making it to the semi-finals. India were also handed a thrashing by the tration for 120 balls while you are batting and in West Indies’ captain Darren Sammy said Sammy, who will ponder whether to “We’ve got a massive game coming up Black Caps, who are sitting on top of Group 2 the field. said his team would have a party after give some unused squad members a run- against India, whoever wins that goes through,” and are clearly one of the better-looking sides in “If we play to our potential, we have the abili- qualifying for the semi-finals with their out. said Australian paceman James Faulkner after the tournament. ty to go all the way.” third straight win of the tournament on Friday’s win against Pakistan. “It was on our Friday-a nervy last over victory against Teams shoulders to turn the ship around and start win- ‘STAY IN THE MOMENT’ Teams: South Africa. West Indies (from): Darren Sammy ning. “We have won two in a row, now we need The home side, which won the inaugural India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (cap- So with their opponents’ eyes already (captain), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, to win another three to win the World Cup,” said World T20 edition in 2007, bounced back to tain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, on next week’s last four showdown Carlos Braithwaite, Dwayne Bravo, the bowler, who enjoyed a five-wicket haul defeat arch-rivals Pakistan before pulling off a Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra against either India or Australia, the con- Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Chris against Pakistan, the first Australian to do so in nerve-wracking one-run win against Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Pawan ditions are ripe for Afghanistan to spring Gayle, Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse, T20 cricket. Australia are the reigning 50-over Bangladesh. The Indians will be praying for a full Negi, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya an upset in their last match of the tourna- Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon world champions and the number one Test side, game today because a washout would throw the Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj ment. Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Evin Lewis. but have failed to win the World T20 in five pre- hosts out of the tournament, since Australia Singh. Afghanistan have won new admirers Afghanistan (from): Asghar Stanikzai vious attempts. enjoy a better run rate. Australia (from): Steven Smith (captain), in India with their aggressive and care- (captain), Amir Hamza, Dawlat Zadran, If they do manage to win the trophy this time India’s star batsman Virat Kohli admitted the David Warner, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, free brand of cricket that has caused Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Karim around, it would be a fitting tribute to all- players would have to raise their game against James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh some anxious moments for their oppo- Sadiq, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad rounder Shane Watson, who is set to quit inter- the Aussies and not let themselves be over- Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, nents.