Pat Cummins took a hat-trick as Australia beat Bangladesh by 28 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to start their Super 8s 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 18th over and then had Towhid Hridoy caught from the first ball of the 20th.
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.
