WORLD T20: Hat-trick for Cummins, runs for Warner as Australia thump Bangladesh

Pat Cummins took a hat-trick as Australia beat Bangladesh by 28 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to start their Super Eight campaign with a win and maintain a 100% record at the T20 World Cup.

Having restricted Bangladesh to 140-8, David Warner’s unbeaten 53 from 35 balls took Australia to 100-2 when rain arrived to bring the match in Antigua to a premature end.

Cummins is just the second man to take a T20 World Cup hat-trick for Australia after Brett Lee, also against Bangladesh, in 2007.

The Australia Test captain removed Mahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan at the end of the 18^th over and then had Towhid Hridoy caught from the first ball of the 20^th.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored for Bangladesh with 41 before falling to Adam Zampa, who impressed again in taking 2-24, while Hridoy’s 40 from 28 balls gave the Tigers’ total a boost.

However, they were a long way short of a competitive total and the Australia openers quickly broke the back of the chase with a stand of 65.

Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain took two quick wickets following a brief rain delay to give Bangladesh hope, but Warner had extinguished that by the time a further downpour arrived to end the game.

Clinical Australia stay on track

From the moment Mitchell Starc bowled Tanzid Hasan with the third ball of the match, Australia were in control in North Sound.

The wicket takes Starc past Lasith Malinga for the most wickets (95) across Men’s T20 and 50-over World Cups.

A fragile Bangladesh batting line-up was no match for a high-class and vastly experienced Australia attack.

Shanto and Litton Das put on 58 for the second wicket, but even then there was always an assuredness about Mitchell Marsh’s side.

Their confidence was well placed as Zampa came on to break the partnership and they continued to chip away for the remainder of the Bangladesh innings.

Cummins made absolutely sure there would be no big finish for the Tigers as Mahmudullah dragged a short ball onto his stumps before Mahedi Hasan guided the next ball to deep third.

Hridoy then scooped the first ball of Cummins’ next over to Josh Hazlewood at short fine leg as the seventh hat-trick at men’s T20 World Cup was completed.

Warner and Travis Head got Australia off to a flyer in the chase before Rishad’s double strike after the rain break briefly slowed their progress.

But Warner, who was dropped on five, soon had the 2021 champions back on track as he brought up his half-century with a six before the rain returned.

Australia join India on two points at the top of Group One and will face Afghanistan in their next match on Sunday from 20:30h.

Bangladesh are back in action against India on Saturday from 10:30h. (BBC)