Bangladesh secured a historic five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first match of the three-match T20I series at Mclean Park, Napier on Wednesday.
This was Bangladesh’s inaugural T20I win on New Zealand soil, coming shortly after their first away one-day international victory against the Black Caps at the same venue.
New Zealand, asked to bat by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, faced early setbacks, losing three wickets and finishing at 134 for nine in 20 overs.
Despite the Black Caps bowlers initially troubling Bangladesh, veteran Litton Das, with partners Soumya Sarkar and Towhid Hridoy, guided Bangladesh to 96-4 after 13 overs.
Facing troubles at 97-5, Bangladesh lost quick wickets, but Das, finishing on 42 not out, survived close calls. Umpire decisions and a boundary-catch accident allowed Bangladesh to overcome hurdles. Mahedi Hasan, 19 not out, partnered with Das to secure victory with eight balls to spare.
Batting first, Despite Daryl Mitchell’s brief resistance with consecutive fours, the Black Caps found themselves struggling at 20-4. Skipper Mitchell Santner and James Neesham added 41 runs, but Sarkar’s catches disrupted the partnership.
Neesham fell just short of a half-century, and Southee was caught on eight.
Adam Milne’s late six took the hosts to 134, but Bangladesh’s batters steadily chipped away at the target. The victory showcased Bangladesh’s resilience and determination against a higher-ranked opponent.
In the second and third T20Is, both scheduled at Mount Maunganui on Friday and Sunday respectively, Bangladesh, ranked ninth, aim to continue their impressive performance against third-ranked New Zealand to remain on a high note during their preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 which will begin in June 2024.
Playing XIs
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das (wk), Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Rony Talukdar, Towhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman