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T20 World Cup: Australia thump Bangladesh as England have to wait to secure semi-final place

Australia up to second in T20 World Cup Group 1, above South Africa on net run-rate, after thrashing Bangladesh by eight wickets with 82 balls to spare; Adam Zampa takes 5-19 as Bangladesh are rolled for 73 in 15 overs en route to fifth successive defeat in Super 12 stage

Adam Zampa, Ausralia, T20 World Cup (Associated Press)
Image: Adam Zampa (right) took the best figures of the 2021 T20 World Cup with 5-19 against Bangladesh

Australia trounced winless Bangladesh by eight wickets in Dubai to leave England waiting to rubberstamp their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

England's last-four spot would have been clinched had Australia lost but Aaron Finch's side ensured that did not happen, torpedoing Bangladesh for 73 in 15 overs before reaching their target with a massive 82 balls to spare.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa (5-19) snared the best bowling figures of this year's tournament, while Finch (40 off 20) then cracked four sixes and two fours as his team coasted home in 6.2 overs and, crucially, moved into second place in Group 1 after taking their net-run rate above South Africa's.

Aaron Finch, Australia, T20 World Cup (Associated Press)
Image: Aaron Finch smashed six boundaries, including two sixes, as Australia passed their target of 74 in 6.2 overs

England, Australia, and South Africa will each end up on eight points if Australia beat West Indies in Saturday's earlier fixture and South Africa then snap England's four-match winning streak later in the day.

However, England's excellent net run-rate - achieved courtesy of victories over West Indies, Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka - means they are highly unlikely to be knocked out of the top two positions.

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Bangladesh will finish rock bottom after suffering five defeats out of five, with their meek display against Australia - in which Zampa was chief destroyer - coming two days after they were rolled for 84 by South Africa.

Zampa would have been celebrating a hat-trick had Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade not dropped Taskin Ahmed at the start of the 15th over, with the bowler having dismissed top-scorer Shamim Hossain (19) and Mahedi Hasan (0) at the end of the 11th, caught on the cut and trapped lbw respectively.

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Zampa's disappointment was relatively short-lived as he had Mustafizur Rahman (4) caught at long-on three balls later, before clinching his maiden T20 international five-wicket haul and ending Bangladesh's sorry innings two deliveries after that when Shoriful Islam (0) edged behind.

The Australia leg-spinner had struck for the first time on the day with the first ball of the seventh over, Afif Hossain (0) snicking a googly through to Finch at slip, as Bangladesh were reduced to 33-5.

The Tigers lost a wicket in each of the first three overs to slip to 10-3 - Litton Das (0) and Soumya Sarkar (5) dragging Mitchell Starc (2-21) and Josh Hazlewood (2-8) respectively onto their stumps before Mushfiqur Rahim (1) was pinned lbw by off-spinner Glenn Maxwell.

Mohammad Naim (17 off 16 balls) struck three boundaries before he tamely pulled Hazlewood to Cummins at square leg - that wicket the 18th Bangladesh have lost in the powerplay, more than any other side.

Then it was over to Zampa to bag five of the final six wickets - the only one he missed out on that of Bangladesh captain and Mahmudullah (17), who was caught by Wade off Starc down the leg-side in the 13th over.

Wade fluffed his lines in the 15th over, though, to deny Zampa the third hat-trick of this year's World Cup, with Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga and Ireland's Curtis Campher having achieved the feat earlier in the competition.

Zampa then watched on as Finch fired with the bat in a 58-run stand with David Warner (18 off 14) for the first wicket and then, once the openers were bowled by Taskin and Shoriful respectively, Mitchell Marsh (16no off 5) clinched a comprehensive victory with a six off Taskin over deep midwicket.

Australia needed to reach their target in 8.1 overs to leapfrog South Africa - but required just 6.2 as Bangladesh were battered and Finch's men rebounded from their heavy defeat to England last weekend.

WHICH PLAYERS STARRED?

Adam Zampa - yes, the spinner came on with Bangladesh already four down but he ensured there would be no recovery as as he picked off Afif, Shamim, Mahedi, Mustafizur and Shoriful - Afif out to an excellent googly and the tail subsiding as Zampa principally targeted the stumps.

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood - three of the first four wickets fell to the seamers, with Starc bowling full and fast and Hazlewood earning his success with length deliveries. After taking some tap against England, Australia's new-ball pair rebounded in style, albeit aided by bad batting.

Aaron Finch - a target of 74 was never likely to trouble Australia, it was just how quickly they could get the runs. Very quickly, as it turned, out with the captain leading from the front, striking six boundaries, including back-to-back sixes off Taskin, before he was bowled looking for another.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Live ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Friday's games both come from Group 2 as New Zealand take on Namibia in Sharjah (9.30am, Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event) before India face Scotland in Dubai (1.30pm, Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event).

India's slender hopes of making the semi-finals will take another hit if New Zealand knock off Namibia but a shock defeat for the Black Caps followed by an India win would open things up in the battle to join already-qualified Pakistan in advancing from the pool.

Watch the T20 World Cup live on Sky between now and November 14.

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