World XI pip Bangladesh XI

The World XI beat Bangladesh XI by 12 runs in the inaugural match of the Indian Cricket League Twenty20 World Series at the Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night.

Chasing a competitive target of 168, the Bangladesh team could muster only 159 for 9 from the allotted 20 overs.

Openers Shahriar Nafees and Nazimuddin started steadily, but could not sustain the partnership as Nazimuddin got out in the fourth over after scoring 20 runs, leaving Bangladesh at 28 for 1.

Aftab Ahmed joined Nafees and was involved in a 47-run partnership for the third wicket before he was out in the ninth over.

Disaster struck the Bangladesh side in the 12th over, with Lance Klusner taking two wickets off successive balls. Adding insult to injury, Harris bowled Nafees and Dhiman Ghosh in the 13th over, shattering the hopes of Bangladesh, who were tottering at 89 for 7.

Mohammad Rafique and Mosharraf Hossain hit a few strokes outside the boundary, but by then the match had gradually slipped out from their fingers.

Bangladesh finally folded for 155 for 9, with Hossain not out on 28 and Mohammad Sharif unbeaten on 7.

Klusener, with three wickets, and Boje and Chris Harris, two each, were responsible for the collapse of the Bangladesh middle order.

Earlier, the World XI opened with the formidable combination of Ian Harvey and Murry Goodwin, who got off to a quick start, racing off to 21 in the second over, before Harvey played a cut shot straight into the hands Alok Kapali at point, off Tapash Baisya.

Bashar introduced spinner Mohammad Rafique in the third over and he struck immediately, castling the dangerous Damien Martyn (1), to leave the world side at 22 for 2.

Rafique struck again in the fifth over, getting the big wicket of Goodwin for a well-made 27 off 16 balls that included six hits to the boundary.

Nicky Boje and Lance Klusener got into damage-control mode and worked up a strong partnership to take the score to 91 for 3 at the half-way mark. Their 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket came to an end in the 11th over, when Boje was stumped off Mosharraf Hussain's ball. Boje scored 34 runs off 23 balls, laced with five fours.

Lance Klusener anchored the World innings.

Mosharraf Hossain picked the crucial wickets of Boje and Paul Nixon in his allotted four overs, while Mohammad Rafique bagged three for 20 runs.

The World innings finally folded at a healthy 167 for 6, with Klusener unbeaten at 63 of 49 balls, studded with four fours and two sixes, and Andre Admas on 4.

Brief scores: World XI: 167/6 in 20 overs (Klusener 63*, Boje 34, Rafique 3/20); Bangladesh XI 155/9 in 20 overs (Nafees 32, Hossain 28*, Klusner 3/18, Harris 2/17).