Tigers down Dutch, keeping quarters hopes alive

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CHITTAGONG: Imrul Kais guided Bangladesh to an easy six-wicket victory against the Netherlands in Group B match, keeping alive their hopes of playing the World Cup quarter-finals, here at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Monday.

The Dutch were shot out for 160 in 46.2 overs after electing to bat first on the slow wicket, a target Bangladesh surpassed in the 42nd over with left-handed batsman Imrul Kayes making 73 not out.

Bangladesh's three left-arm spinners shared five of the six wickets to fall to bowlers with Abdur Razzak leading the way with 3-29 in 10 steady overs.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Suhrawadi Shuvo, who was brought in to replace off-spinner Naeem Islam, claimed one wicket apiece.

Kayes put on 92 for the second-wicket with Junaid Siddique (35) after opening partner Tamim Iqbal was bowled by Mudassar Bukhari off the fourth ball of the innings without scoring.

Shahriar Nafees, one of the five left-handers at the top of the batting order who replaced right-handed Raqibul Hasan, made 37 in a third-wicket stand of 59 with Kayes.

Kayes, who followed his 60 against England with another half-century, was named man of the match for the second time in a row.

Bangladesh joined the West Indies and South Africa on six points, one behind Group B leaders India and a point ahead of England.

A West Indies win over England in Chennai on Thursday will enable Bangladesh ease into the last eight even before their final league match against South Africa in Dhaka on Saturday.

But an unlikely Irish win over the Proteas in Kolkata on Tuesday will once again throw open the quarter-final race from the pool.

Ryan ten Doeschate top-scored for the Netherlands with an unbeaten 53, but none of the other batsmen managed 30, six failed to reach double figures and four ran themselves out.

Openers Wesley Barrisi and Eric Szwaraczynski plodded to 28 runs in nine overs, following a tidy opening spell by seamer Shafiul Islam, who conceded just seven runs in his first six overs.

Tom Cooper (29) and Szwaraczynski carried the score to 66-2 by the 23rd over when both batsmen were run out in the space of 13 runs to set the Dutch back again.

Szwaraczynski, who made 28, was unfortunate to be dismissed at the non-striker's end when Shakib deflected a straight drive from Cooper onto the stumps.

Wicket-keeper Musfiqur Rahim, who had dropped Cooper on six, made amends when he lunged for a wide throw from the deep and threw the ball at the stumps before the batsman had regained his crease.

Shuvo had Alexei Kervezee stumped by Rahim for 18, before Razzak dismissed Tom de Grooth and Atse Buurman in three deliveries to reduce the Netherlands to 127-7 in the 38th over.

Skipper Peter Borren and Adeel Raja also ran themselves out, leaving ten Doeschate stranded at the other end.