DHAKA: A sterling all-rounder performance by Soumya Sarkar helped Bangla­desh record a seven-wicket win over Afghan­is­tan in the second semi-final of the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Soumya struck 61 from 59 balls to help the side reach the victory before he claimed 3-58 with his bowling.

Bangladesh, however, set up a final clash with Pakistan who beat arch-rivals India by three runs in Wednesday’s first semi-final.

The final is on Saturday at the same venue.

Afghanistan piled up 228-9 after being sent to bat first, thanks to a 128-ball 114 (seven sixes and seven fours) from Darwish Rasooli.

But Soumya trumped Darwish’s century to help Bangladesh reach the target in just 39.5 overs as they made 229-3. Soumya struck three fours and as many sixes in his innings. He was ably supported by captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto who contributed team’s cause with 59 off 68 deliveries, hitting five fours and one six.

Yasir Ali was not out on 38 and Afif Hossain was on 45 off 36, after smacking three fours and two sixes when the hosts sealed victory in the 40th over.

Darwish earlier drove the side single-handedly as his colleagues failed to deal with Bangladeshi bowlers.

While Hasan Mahmud and Soumya scalped three wickets apiece, Tanvir Islam picked up two wickets.

Scoreboard

AFGHANISTAN:

Abdul Malik c Mahidul b H. Mahmud 1 Shahidullah c Mahidul b H. Mahmud 3 Shawkat Zaman lbw b H. Mahmud 13 Darwish Rasooli c Mahidul b Soumya 114 Munir Ahmad b Soumya 2 Samiullah Shenwari c Yasir b Tanvir 11 Waheedullah Shafaq c Sumon b Tanvir 34 Tariq Stanikzai c Afif b Soumya 33 Azmatullah Omarzai not out 1 Abdul Wasi run out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, W-15) 16

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 228

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-22, 3-24, 4-36, 5-73, 6-140, 7-226, 8-226, 9-228.

DID NOT BAT: Yousuf Zazai.

BOWLING: Hasan Mahmud 10-2-48-3 (4w); Sumon Khan 10-0-59-0 (5w); Soumya Sarkar 10-1-58-3 (5w); Tanvir Islam 10-1-33-2; Mahedi Hasan 10-1-29-0 (1w). BANGLADESH: M. Naim c Tariq b Azmatullah 17 Soumya Sarkar b Wasi 61 Najmul Hossain Shanto c W’ullah b Wasi 59 Yasir Ali not out 38 Afif Hossain not out 45 EXTRAS (LB-5, W-3, NB-1) 9 TOTAL (for three wkts, 39.5 overs) 229 FALL OF WKTS: 1-26, 2-133, 3-154. DID NOT BAT: Zakir Hasan, Mahidul Islam, Tanvir Islam, Sumon Khan, Hasan Mahmud, Mahedi Hasan. BOWLING: Yousuf Zazai 5-0-35-0; Azmatullah Omarzai 7-0-40-1 (1w); Shahidullah 5-0-31-0 (1w); Abdul Malik 6-0-29-0 (1nb, 1w); Abdul Wasi 8-0-46-2; Samiullah Shenwari 3-0-19-0; Tariq Stanikzai 5.5-0-24-0.

RESULT: Bangladesh won by seven wickets. UMPIRES: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan) and C. Shamshuddin (India). MATCH REFEREE: M. Nayyar (India). MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Soumya Sarkar.
FINAL: Bangladesh vs Pakistan (Dhaka), Saturday.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2019