Bangladesh's Mohammad Ashraful and Mashrafe Mortaza (right) celebrate the dismissal of Bermuda's Steven Outerbridge during their World Cup cricket match in Port of Spain yesterday. - Reuters
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP)
Bangladesh clinched a seven-wicket victory against debutant Bermuda in a rain-hit match yesterday and secured passage to the World Cup's Super 8 stage.
Chasing a modest 21-over target after Bermuda tottered to 94 for nine in an innings disrupted four times by rain, Bangladesh reached 96 for three with 21 balls to spare.
The victory earned Bangladesh its biggest World Cup achievement - advancing out of the first round - at its third attempt.
Bangladesh needed just one point from this match to secure the second place in the preliminary Group B - behind Sri Lanka and at India's expense.
India, the 1983 champion and 2003 finalist, lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in its worst World Cup performance since 1979.
The loss to undefeated Sri Lanka left India a tiny hope - relying on Bermuda to beat Bangladesh. That was very unlikely, at best.
Bermuda pace bowler Saleem Mukuddem (3-19) rocked Bangladesh, which lost two wickets in 11 deliveries to slide to 37-3 before an unbroken 59-run stand between Saqibul Hasan (26 not out) and Mohammad Ashraful (29 not out) carred the Tigers to victory.
Put in to bat first after Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar won the toss, Bermuda's challenge was undermined by the frequent rain-caused disruptions that saw the overs gradually getting reduced from 50 to 21.
The game began as a 41-over aside contest after the start was delayed more than 1-1/2 hours. It was reduced to 35 overs-a-side after Bermuda faced three overs, scoring six runs for the loss of opener Stephen Outerbridge (zero) in three overs.
The second break occured with Bermuda on 17 for three, having lost Delyone Borden (2) and David Hemp for a duck. Hemp is the only professional in the team. Play resumed with the match reduced to 30 overs and three minutes later another short interruption was caused by a light drizzle, during which the Bangladesh fielders stayed on the boundary line.
Bermuda captain Irvine Romaine (11) fell lbw to left-arm spinner Razzak, who went on to claim two more wickets in the last over to return the best figures of 3-20.
At 45 for four in 15.1 overs, play was suspended for the fourth time, the longest break during the day. When play resumed, Bermuda tried to hit out during the remaining time, hitting 49 from 35 balls.
World Cup scoreboard
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) - Scoreboard yesterday in the World Cup Group B match between Bangladesh and Bermuda at the Queen's Park Oval:
Bermuda Innings
Stephen Outerbridge c Rafique b Mortaza 0
Oliver Pitcher c Bashar b Hasan 22
Delyone Borden c Bashar b Mortaza 2
David Hemp c Ahmed b Rasel 0
Irvine Romaine lbw b Razzak 11
Dean Minors c Iqbal b Razzak 23
Lionel Cann b Hasan 16
Janeiro Tucker c Iqbal b Rafique 9
Kevin Hurdle b Razzak 0
Saleem Mukuddem not out 0
Extras: (5lb, 2nb, 4w) 11
TOTAL: (for 9 wickets) 94.
Overs: 21.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-8, 3-11, 4-35, 5-52, 6-73, 7-86, 8-94, 9-94.
Did not bat: Dwayne Leverock.
Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 4-0-8-2 (1nb, 2w), Syed Rasel 5-0-14-1 (1nb, 1w), Abdur Razzak 4-0-20-3 (1w), Mohammad Rafique 4-0-18-1, Saqibul Hasan 3-0-12-2, Aftab Ahmed 1-0-17-0.
Bangladesh Innings
Tamim Iqbal c Hurdle b Mukuddem 1
Shahriar Nafees c Tucker b Mukuddem 12
Aftab Ahmed lbw b Mukuddem 7
Saqibul Hasan not out 26
Mohammad Ashraful not out 29
Extras: (4b, 3nb, 14w) 21
TOTAL (for 3 wickets) 96.
Overs: 17.3.
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-30, 3-37.
Did not bat: Habibul Bashar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Rafique, Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel.
Bowling: Kevin Hurdle 4-0-25-0 (3nb, 7w), Saleem Mukuddem 5-1-19-3 (4w), Janeiro Tucker 3-0-14-0, Dwayne Leverock 3.3-0-19-0, Delyone Borden 2-0-15-0 (3w).
Toss: Bangladesh.
Result: Bangladesh won by seven wickets.
Umpires: Steve Davis, Australia, and Ian Howell, South Africa.
TV umpire: Aleem Dar, Pakistan. Match referee: Allan Hurst, Australia.
