Bangladesh off to winning start in T20 World Cup with victory over Netherlands

Bangladesh quick Taskin Ahmed has picked up a career-best 4-25 as his side opened their Twenty20 World Cup with a breakthrough nine-run win over the Netherlands.

Playing their first match of the tournament, Bangladesh posted 8-144 in Hobart on Monday afternoon, bowling the Dutch out for 135 on the last ball.

It was the first time Bangladesh have won a match in the main “super” stage of a T20 World Cup and breaks a five-match losing streak in the 20-over format.

Ahmed was on a hat-trick after removing Vikramjit Singh and Bas de Leede with the first two balls of the Dutch chase and returned late to pick up two scalps.

The Netherlands were in all sorts of trouble at 4-15 when Max O’Dowd and Tom Cooper were both run out in a calamitous fourth over.

Colin Ackermann kept them in the game with a 48-ball 62 but fell in the 17th over to Ahmed.

The Netherlands needed 24 off the final over and 12 from the last two balls but couldn’t get the job done.