A Promising Journey of Bangladesh Ends in Hong Kong Int’l Sixes

When the cricket nation is busy with international tournaments like the just-finished test series between India and New Zealand or the one between Bangladesh and South Africa, the shortest-format cricket is held in Hong Kong. Each side has only six players, and the match also has six overs. The target audience is only television and remote viewers, as the presence of an audience is not welcomed here. The purpose is only to entertain cricket fans with aggressive batting and high-scoring thrillers! 

Tournament Set Up for 2024

The teams were divided into four pools (Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D) this time, each consisting of three, as the total number of teams was 12 this year. From each pool, two teams will be selected for the Quarter Final, the Semifinal, and the Final. 

Bangladesh Performed in the First Stage

Bangladesh was in Pool D, where Sri Lanka and Oman were with them during the battle. Let’s see how they did in the early stage:

Vs. Oman: The Motivating Start

Bangladesh was lucky to start the tournament with Oman, which was comparatively more straightforward. Batting first, Bangladesh scored a massive 147 runs, an unbelievable score in a six-over match! Jishan Alam’s 55 off just 12 balls and Yasir Ali’s 26 off nine balls helped the team reach this. 

In response, Oman tried their best, but more was needed. They ended at 113 and lost the match by a large margin. Bangladesh started the tournament with a happy memory. 

Vs. Sri Lanka: A Reality Check 

This was crucial as Sri Lanka is one of the most formidable opponents in this tournament. This time, Sri Lanka batted first and scored 107, which is not that tough in this format. Jishan Alam took two wickets in just one over and spent only six runs, which was vital in restricting the opponent to a chasable total. 

But the batters couldn’t do the job well enough. Even Saifuddin’s 47 off 17 balls couldn’t help much, as others were not ready to overcome the barriers created by Lahiru and Dhanajaya, Sri Lanka’s bowling starts. As a result, they ended with only 89 runs and accepted a defeat. Yet, this was enough to proceed to the next round, as Oman has lost their last chance with Sri Lanka, too! 

The Quarter-Final Challenge: Vs. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

There is no way to be relaxed seeing the opponent’s name as this Six-a-side format is unique, where underdogs start and dominate on the veterans like India, Pakistan, and others. They have done it this time as they defeated India by one run in this tournament in the Pool stage and got defeated by Pakistan by only 13 runs. This means that they have faced much more significant challenges than Bangladesh earlier.

In this match, Bangladesh got to bat first again, where Jishan Alam, the tournament star, scored 34 of 17 balls, though the fans wanted more from him. However, Abdullah Al Mamun’s 31 from 11 helped Bangladesh to get 111 runs within six overs. 

In response, the UAE couldn’t make a good start because of the quick wickets lost by Asif Khan and Khalid Shah. When it was almost a one-sided game, Sanchit Sharma’s 25 of just six balls created some tension but couldn’t hold for long. Besides, it was a shorter over the match, and Bangladesh was declared the winner by 18 runs in the DLS method; thanks to Saifuddin again for getting two crucial wickets within just 1.2 over with the expense of 7 runs only! 

With this win, Bangladesh reached the Semifinal stage of the game, where they can genuinely hope for something bigger!

Heartbreak in The Semi Final: Again Sri Lanka 

Yes, the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka rivalry has reached the next level, and it also touched here in a Six-a-side tournament! The 2nd Semifinal was full of thrill and tension as both sides were in the game till the end. 

Bangladesh was again batting in the first innings, where Jishan Alam, the hope of the batting department, started the innings with Abdullah Al Mamun. This time, Jishan again entertained the audience with 36 runs in just 11 balls, scoring five sixes and one four-run! Mamun’s 16 runs in just four balls also helped to keep the momentum. 

After Saifuddin’s 23 of 12 balls, Abu Haider scored 18 runs in just six balls, which finally helped Bangladesh score a total of 103 runs. Considering the batting strength of Sri Lanka, this score was not enough to fight, yet Bangladesh had to believe in their bowlers and the uncertainty of the shorter version. 

Sandun Weerakkody and Dhananjaya, the two openers, almost finished the hope for Bangladesh! Sandun’s 50 of just 16 balls and Dhananjaya’s 24 of 6 balls built a solid foundation for Sri Lanka. However, Jishan Alam, this time, appeared with the bowl to save the team. His fifth over was among the best in this tournament, as he took two crucial wickets for just four runs. With this over, the game again turned to Bangladesh, and the team geared up to restrict Sri Lanka within 13 runs, as Sri Lanka needed 14 runs in the last over to win with three wickets in hand. 

Mamun took the balls and scored just three runs in the first two balls, which gave hope for a while. But he conceded a four and a six in the two successive balls, destroying the chances. There was a shout for LBW in the fifth ball, but it ended with a single run with a Leg-by signal by the umpire. 

Bangladesh lost the match, and the journey ended here. 

Concluding Words

When the tournament doesn’t get that much hype, a team’s success could surely cheer up the Tigers since they are going through a tough time. Yet, they have reached the Semifinal, which is also a positive indication of the potential of the pipeline players. However, Bangladesh could be happy thinking that they lost the match to the champions, as Sri Lanka finally won the tournament by defeating Pakistan.