Finch helps Aust snap WT20 losing streak

Australia have escaped the embarrassment of a winless World Twenty20, securing a hollow seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their dead rubber.

Facing a tricky target of 154, Aaron Finch’s entertaining 71 anchored Australia’s successful chase of 3-158, which silenced the partisan Dhaka crowd and snapped a three-game losing streak.

And having secured the face-saving result, Australia quickly gathered their belongings and fled for the airport – eager to escape a city they hoped would deliver the last remaining piece of cricketing silverware they’d not yet won, but instead gave them nothing but nightmares.

Despite beating Bangladesh, who themselves have been woeful, it must surely still rank as Australia’s worst performance in a major limited overs tournament.

“To not make it through to the semi-final stage has been really disappointing from the team’s point of view,” Finch said after the game on Tuesday night.

“We came here with hopes to win the competition and we’re going home with nothing.”

For the first time all tournament Australia’s top order found some form, with David Warner and Finch starting the run-chase in grand fashion to put on 98 for the first wicket and set up the win, which was achieved with 15 balls remaining.

Warner (48 off 35) in particular has had a lacklustre fortnight, considering his tremendous output in the Ashes and in the victorious Test series in South Africa, but he was able to cut loose against their inferior opponents – pulling out switch hits and big hits as he clubbed eight boundaries, including three sixes.

Finch, who scored 65 in the first-up loss to Pakistan, brought up his half century off 35 and muscled four sixes and seven fours in a 45-ball knock.

But both openers would’ve rued the missed opportunities in Australia’s live games that could’ve extended their tournament past the group stage.

Cameron White (18 off 15) negotiated the final overs, before captain George Bailey (11 off seven) secured the comfortable win with a six.

The result leaves hosts Bangladesh as the only team to fail to secure a victory in the group stage – a feat even achieved by associate side the Netherlands with their incredible upset of England on Monday.

Earlier, the home side were boosted by a 112-run partnership between Shakib Al Hasan (66) and captain Mushfiqur Rahim (47 off 36) to finish 5-153.

They were aided by Australia’s curious decision to drop young legspinner James Muirhead and again omit veteran left-armer Brad Hogg from the clash.

“The side that we picked tonight was probably more horses for courses,” Finch said.

“I think that was absolutely the right decision to make.”

Seam-bowling allrounder Dan Christian (0-17 off two overs) was preferred instead – a questionable decision, which irked Australia’s greatest ever spinner, Shane Warne, who was watching from the stands in his role as a TV commentator.

The spin omissions made even less sense when you consider the impact tweakers have had throughout the tournament, and the undeniable potential of Muirhead.

“Aust not playing a specialist spinner! Strange decision,” he tweeted during Bangladesh’s innings.

“Why not persist with a 20 year old leggie who spins it?”

Recalled paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile (2-17) snared two early wickets to reduce Bangladesh to 2-12, before Al Hasan gave the hosts some hope, smashing three sixes and a further five fours in a measured and crucial 52-ball innings.

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