Skipper Litton Das top-scored with 59 as Bangladesh beat a spirited Hong Kong by seven wickets in their first match of the Asia Cup on Thursday. Hong Kong posted 143-7 after Nizakat Khan made 42 in the T20 meeting in Abu Dhabi, where the minnows were invited to bat first.

Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase to raise Hong Kong’s hopes of an upset, but Litton put on a stand of 95 with Towhid Hridoy, who made an unbeaten 35, to reach 144-3 in 17.4 overs.

Litton reached his 50 in 33 balls but fell to medium-pace bowler Ateeq Iqbal before Towhid hit the winning run.

It was Hong Kong’s second straight defeat in Group B, which includes Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs in the tournament opener.

Hong Kong lost two early wickets before Nizakat paired up with Zeeshan Ali, who made 30, in a third-wicket stand of 41. Nizakat then got into another partnership of 46 with skipper Yasim Murtaza, who hit 28 off 19 balls, as the two counter-attacked.

Murtuza was run out and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain struck twice in the next over, including taking Nizakat’s key wicket, as the Hong Kong batting line-up stuttered towards the end.

Pace bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib stood out with figures of 2-21 from his four overs. Taskin Ahmed and Rishad also took two wickets each. In reply, Bangladesh slipped to 47-2 before Litton and Towhid rebuilt the innings and then bossed the opposition bowling.

Pakistan will open their campaign on Friday against Oman in Dubai. Along with regional bragging rights, the competition will serve as a build-up towards the T20 World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka.