Liton Das batted with cramps and scored an unbeaten 42 off 36 deliveries to help Bangladesh defeat New Zealand by five wickets in the opening T20I in Napier today.
As Bangladesh raced down 134 in 18.4 overs with five wickets in hand, the right-handed opening batsman led the chase and was well supported by Sheikh Mahedi, who stayed not out on 19 off 16 deliveries.
The win is Bangladesh’s first against the Kiwis, and it comes at the same site as Bangladesh won their first ODI against the same opponent last week.
Liton and Mahedi put up an unbroken 40-run stand as Bangladesh faltered, losing five wickets for 97 runs.
Small chase all the way to the wire
Bangladesh scored 73 for three in 10 overs, chasing 134 runs set by New Zealand in the opening T20I in Napier. Opener Rony Talukdar, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Soumya Sarkar all died in pursuit of early runs.
Rony finished with a 7-ball 10, while Shanto finished with a 19-ball 14 – both going out when attempting expansive strokes against Adam Milne and James Neesham. Soumya seemed in good form, racing to 22 off 15 deliveries before being bowled by Ben Sears.
In 20 overs, New Zealand scores 134-9.
Shoriful Islam, Sheikh Mahedi Hasan, and Mustafizur Rahman shone with the ball as Bangladesh restricted New Zealand to 134 for nine in 20 overs after deciding to bat first in today’s opening T20I in Napier.
Shoriful took 3-26 and had a few of catches missed off his bowling, while Mustafizur ended with 2-15 as New Zealand never got going despite James Neesham’s brave 28-ball 48.
Sheikh Mahedi concluded with two for 14 and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain with one wicket. Tanzim Hasan Sakib, a debutant bowler, was costly, going for 45 in four overs for a single wicket.
Mustafizur puts a stop to the violence in Neesham.
Even as New Zealand continued to lose wickets, James Neesham batted well, putting the hosts beyond the 100-run mark with some adventurous strokes. Mustafizur Rahman, on the other hand, despatched the left-handed batsman with a low full toss that Neesham (48 off 28 balls) hit straight to Afif in the deep.
Rishad ends a 30-run partnership.
Rishad Hossain struck with his second delivery to halt Mark Chapman and James Neesham’s 30-run partnership. Rishad persuaded Chapman (19) to play one away from his body, and the ball looped up in deep, where Tanjim Hasan Sakib made the catch. In the tenth over, New Zealand were five down for 50.
New Zealand were reduced to two for three when Mahedi Hasan and Shoriful Islam hit three times in the opening two overs.
In the opening over of the game, Mahedi rocked starter Tim Seifert’s castle with one that spun a touch before Shoriful struck twice in two balls, forcing Fin Allen to edge one to Soumya Sarkar at first slip and then trapping Glenn Phillips, who shoulder armed, right in front.
Mahedi then returned to eliminate the potentially dangerous-looking Daryll Mitchell bowled in the same manner as Seifert, and New Zealand were 36 for four after six overs.
Bangladesh has chosen to field against New Zealand in the Napier T20.
Following their first-ever ODI triumph on New Zealand soil, a euphoric Bangladesh side will try to repeat the same dosage on the hosts in the first T20I tonight in Napier, the location for Bangladesh’s historic win last week.
Bangladesh, as in the previous ODI, won the toss and chose to bat first. Remember, in the third ODI of the series, the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led team bowled New Zealand for 98 before chasing down the mark with nine wickets in hand. So there were no surprises when Shanto won the toss and chose to bat first.
Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain replaces all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz in the Bangladesh squad. Bangladesh field three pacers plus Soumya Sarkar, as well as two spinners, Mahedi Hasan and Rishad.
TEAMS
Litton Das (wk), Soumya Sarkar (c), Rony Talukdar, Towhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman
Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears are the New Zealand players.