Shafiul Islam stars in Bangladesh win

Shafiul Islam was luckless in a probing opening spell that read 6-3-7-0 but was instrumental in strangling Netherlands in a virtual must-win game in Chittagong. The spinners tightened the screws further as Netherlands meandered to a below-par 160 and Bangladesh strolled to a six-wicket win.

It will remain a mystery how Shafiyul didn't pick up a wicket. He darted the ball in, straightened it outside off, slipped in Yorkers, tried the faster and the slower bouncer and didn't bowl a single bad ball. He harassed the openers with the movement but the ball either thudded high on the pad or teasingly missed the edge. It was one of those days. The first run against him was scored only on the 18th delivery when he tried a slower one.

It was a pitch that had a hint of moisture underneath and he exploited the conditions to the maximum. And it wasn't as if the openers didn't try to score against him: Both Eric Szwarczynski and Wesley Barresi even tried moving down the track but they weren't good enough to make contact. Netherlands promoted Mudassar Bukhari to pinch some quick runs but Shafiyul put him in his place in the 11th over. Two yorkers jammed the bottom of the bat, a bouncer pinged the shoulder and a slower one winked past the waft.

He returned for a second spell and yet again unlucky as couple of catches went down of his bowling. However, by then, he had done his bit to ensure Bangladesh won this vital encounter.