5-star show by Adam Zampa

Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa celebrates the dismisal of Bangladesh’s Afif Hossain at Dubai yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

Adam Zampa claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to help Australia boost their semi-final hopes at the Twenty20 World Cup with an eight-wicket thrashing of Bangladesh on Thursday. Zampa returned figures of 5-19 with his leg spin and combined with the Australian pace bowlers to skittle out Bangladesh for just 73 in the Super 12 contest here.

Easy chase for Oz

Skipper Aaron Finch, who hit 40, and David Warner put on 58 for the opening wicket as Australia romped home in 6.2 overs to move ahead of South Africa on net run-rate and boost their semi-final hopes.

Taskin Ahmed bowled Finch after the batsman smashed two fours and four sixes in his 20-ball knock, and Warner was out for 18, but the wickets remained minor blemishes in Australia's third win in four matches. They are in a direct race with the Proteas to seal a final-four spot from Group 1 led by England who have effectively sealed one of the two semi-final places with four wins in as many games.

Also Read: T20 World Cup: 'My job is to get wickets in middle overs,' says Adam Zampa

South Africa play England on Saturday after Australia take on the West Indies. "Zampa's 5-19 was outstanding," said Finch. "It was a really clinical performance." Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc bowled Liton Das for nought on the third delivery of the innings to set the tone for Australia's dominance. Soumya Sarkar dragged a Josh Hazlewood delivery onto his stumps and Glenn Maxwell trapped Mushfiqur Rahim lbw for one as Bangladesh slipped to 10-3 and then 33-5 in 6.1 overs.

Captain Mahmudullah Riyad, who made 16, put up some resistance with a 29-run partnership with Shamim Hossain, who scored 19, before Zampa broke through with his second wicket.

Hat-trick missed

Zampa struck again off successive balls of his third over to be on a hat-trick that nearly materialised with his opening ball of his final over, but wicketkeeper Matthew Wade dropped a catch. Zampa then took two more to wrap up the innings in 15 overs and surpass his previous T20 best of 3-14.

Brief scores
Bangladesh 73 in 15 overs (S Hossain 19; A Zampa 5-19, J Hazlewood 2-8, M Starc 2-21) lost to Australia 78-2 in 6.2 overs (A Finch 40) by 8 wickets

01
No. of fifers claimed by Adam Zampa in T20Is

Also Read: T20 World Cup: It was world class performance from Zampa - Aaron Finch

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