Warner leads Australia's charge after the Zampa-Cummins show
An impressive bowling performance set the stage and Australia were always well ahead amid the rain
Andrew Fidel Fernando
21-Jun-2024
As usual, Adam Zampa was in the wickets • ICC/Getty Images
Australia 100 for 2 (Warner 53*) beat Bangladesh 140 for 8 (Shanto 41, Hridoy 40, Cummins 3-29) by 28 runs (DLS method)
Adam Zampa led the charge through Bangladesh's middle overs, before Pat Cummins claimed a hat-trick at the death as Australia made a commanding start to the Super Eight.
Outside of a 58-run second-wicket stand between Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh were unable to string together any dominant periods with the bat.
The result was them stumbling to 140 for 8 from their 20 overs. Although the North Sound pitch was on the slower side, and assisted the spinners, this was always going to be difficult to defend.
David Warner and Travis Head combined to blast 65 for Australia in the first 6.5 overs, and though Bangladesh's spinners imposed themselves after that, Australia were always cruising. They were 28 runs ahead when showers interrupted play (there had been squalls blowing through all evening).
Zampa halts Bangladesh
At 57 for 1 at the end of the eighth over, and two set batters in, Bangladesh were in a reasonable position from which to raise the tempo a little. But they were up against one of the canniest middle-overs operators going. Zampa slid in a fast arm ball, that Litton failed to hit with his sweep shot, and wound up bowled.
Later, Zampa also hit Shanto in front of the stumps with a fast legbreak, removing Bangladesh's top scorer of the evening. All up, he collected figures of 2 for 24 from his four overs.
Cummins' hat trick
The last three overs were not fruitful for Bangladesh, who scored only 23 runs. Cummins' wicket-taking was chiefly responsible for Australia controlling that period of the game.
His first two wickets came from back-of-a-length deliveries outside off. Mahmudullah tried to pull one through midwicket and ended up bottom-edging the ball into his stumps. Mahedi Hasan tried to ramp it, but provided only a neat catch to deep third.
Then, first ball of the final over, Cummins outwitted Towhid Hridoy by bowling a slower, length ball to the batter, who only scooped it over the shoulder to short fine leg.
This was Australia's fourth hat trick in this format, but only the second in a World Cup. The first was by Brett Lee in 2007, also against Bangladesh.
Warner and Head race out of the blocks
It didn't take long for Australia's openers to impose themselves. Warner hit the second ball of the innings - bowled by Mahedi Hasan - for four with a reverse sweep. But it was in the fourth over, bowled by Taskin Ahmed, that they really got going, with both batters clubbing straight boundaries, before Head lifted a shortish delivery into the stands beyond cow corner. They plundered 59 in the powerplay.
Though Bangladesh legspinner Rishad Hossain claimed two wickets in his first two overs, Head and Warner had got Australia well ahead of the required rate.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf