Iqbal takes Bangladesh to Super 10 stage of ICC World T20

DHARAMSALA, India (AP):

Opener Tamim Iqbal struck the first Twenty20 International century by a Bangladesh batsman to help his team beat Oman by 54 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method yesterday and reach the Super 10 stage of the ICC World Twenty20.

The left-hander's 63-ball 103 not out, which was studded with five sixes and 10 fours, helped Group A favourites Bangladesh notch a huge 180-2 after being put in to bat.

Oman could only manage 65-9 in the rain-interrupted game after a revised target of 120 off 12 overs left it to score 75 off 22 balls.

Iqbal, who played some fine pull and lofted shots as well as some deft strikes behind the wicket, added 97 for the second wicket with Sabbir Rahman, who hit 44 from 26 deliveries.

Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan later grabbed 4-15 as the team joined India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand in Group Two of the main league, which starts tomorrow.

"After a couple of boundaries, I was hitting the ball nicely," said Iqbal, who scored 83 not out against the Netherlands and 47 versus Ireland in earlier games. "I'd told my coach (Chandika Hathurasinghe of Sri Lanka) that I'll give you a hundred in this World Cup and I kept my promise."

In an earlier game, pace-bowler Paul van Meekeren grabbed 4-11 as the Netherlands defeated Ireland by 12 runs. Put in to bat, the Netherlands scored 59-5 with opener Stephen Myburgh striking an 18-ball 27 with five fours. Irish left-arm spinner George Dockrell took 3-7.

Ireland could only reach 47-4 in reply with Van Meekeren ending their hopes with the wickets of Max Sorensen (9) and George Dockrell (0) off consecutive deliveries in the last over.

"It's special," van Meekeren said. "The captain told me to bowl short of length and into the stumps and it was perfect conditions for me. We had been preparing for this for the last three weeks, maybe six months, and it worked out well."

Paul Stirling top-scored for Ireland with 15.