Win,win equation for Bangladesh

Mathematics was never one of Jamie Siddons strong points in school,but destiny has tricked this Australian-born Bangladesh coach to churn numbers on his fingertips.

Mathematics was never one of Jamie Siddons strong points in school,but destiny has tricked this Australian-born Bangladesh coach to churn numbers on his fingertips. After all,if Bangladesh is to go through to the quarters of the Cup,Siddons needs to be up-to-date with his lessons in permutations and combinations.

With four points in five games,the confidence in the camp is sky high after their come-from-behind victory over Andrew Strausss England at Chittagong their second win of the tournament. The downside though,is that if England beat the West Indies,Bangladesh are once again back to square one a loss away from kissing their World Cup campaign goodbye.

It may not be rocket science,but the best way to beat the wretched arithmetic,according Siddons,is for Bangladesh to win their remaining matches,those against the Netherlands and South Africa results that will ensure that the number crunching is left to his counterparts in Group B. We need to win the next two games, Siddons says. Considering England beat West Indies and we beat the Dutch,it still wont count for anything if we cant win our last game against South Africa. Unfortunately,our run-rate is very poor, the Bangaldesh coach adds.

They may have pulled off two wins,but Bangladesh havent yet managed to post a score of 300. We have got to win Mondays match,and then win against South Africa,and we are through. Thats the main focus,not on the NRR. This is the business end of the group stages and what matters is to keep winning, he assures.

The plan is simple,win both and pray that it doesnt boil down to the net run-rate. However,with the oranje-clad minnows up next,a by product of their win could witness a much needed boost to the figure of -1.241 on their last column of the points table.

Positioned just one spot below England,the Bangladeshis have had a good taste of victory in their previous encounter and are hungrier for more. But as Siddons explains,there is no room for complacency at this stage,even against the Netherlands. Last time we played against the Dutch,they beat us. That cannot happen again,not in the World Cup.

The Dutch have proved time and again that they are no pushovers,like against giants India at Delhi. While they may have run England close due to Ryan ten Doeschate,they played more like a team against MS Dhoni amp; Co,sending a few shock waves by reducing them to 99/4. With a pitch made for the spinners,Pieter Seelaar,the Dutch left-arm spinner who scalped three wickets against India,will be licking his lips in anticipation at the sight of the spin-friendly Chittagong pitch one tailor-made for Bangladeshs slower bowlers.

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Our intention is to ruin this Bangladesh party, warns a confident Dutch captain Peter Borren. If that happens,Siddons will know that it wasn8217;t just the math that got the better off him.