Bangladesh overcame a Nathan Ellis hat trick to win the Twenty20 series against Australia after a 10-run victory in the third game on Friday. Bangladesh won the first game by 23 runs and the second one by five wickets. There are two games left.
Pacer Ellis became the first bowler to claim a hat trick on debut in T20s as Bangladesh was restricted to 127/9.
Although he didn’t get a wicket, fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s economic bowling was key. His cutter and slower deliveries baffled the Australians, and he returned superb figures of 4-0-9-0.
When Australia needed 23 runs in the last two overs, Mustafizur conceded just one run in the penultimate over.
Alex Carey struck a six off the first ball of the last over against offspinner Mahedi Hasan but Australia ultimately fell short. Mitchell Marsh hit a 47-ball 51 to be their top scorer for a third straight time. He came to the crease after opener and captain Matthew Wade fell for 1 with Australia at 8-1.
Pace bowler Shoriful Islam (2-29) dismissed Marsh with the first ball of the 18th over and turned the game towards Bangladesh.
Ben McDermott, one of the three changes by Australia, scored 35 after opening.
After the game was delayed for 1 hour, 15 minutes, Bangladesh decided to bat first and immediately rued it when opener Mohammad Naim and Soumya Sarkar were dismissed and the side was 3-2 in three overs.
Skipper Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan added 44 runs for the third wicket until the latter was dismissed for 26.
Mahmudullah batted to the last over and reached 52 off 53.
Ellis rattled his stump for his debut wicket and followed it with the wickets of Mustafizur Rahman and Mahedi Hasan to become the third Australian and 16th bowler to achieve a T20 hat trick.
Also, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and legspinner Adam Zampa took two wickets each.
