Bangladesh began this home ODI series with a loss to New Zealand. However, the Tigers bounced back in the next match, making the final game the series decider. In this crucial match, Nazmul Hossain Shanto scored a century, helping Bangladesh post a total exceeding 250 runs. Following the batters, the bowlers also dominated the Kiwis, especially Mustafizur Rahman. With a five-wicket haul from the left-arm pacer, New Zealand was bowled out for just over two hundred. The Tigers secured the series 2-1 with a 55-run victory.
Batting first after losing the toss in Chattogram, Bangladesh scored 265 runs for 8 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Nazmul Hossain Shanto top-scored for the team with 105 runs. In reply, New Zealand were all out for 210 runs in 44.5 overs. Mustafizur Rahman was the best bowler for the Tigers, taking 5 wickets for 30 runs.
New Zealand’s chase of 266 runs did not start well. Mustafizur Rahman provided Bangladesh with the breakthrough with the new ball, striking the first blow in the Kiwi camp in the fourth over. Henry Nicholls failed to handle Mustafiz’s bouncer on the second ball, top-edging it to wicketkeeper Litton Das’s gloves. Nicholls’ dismissal for 4 runs broke the 8-run opening partnership.
Another opener, Will Young, failed to convert his start into a big innings. He edged a length delivery outside off-stump from Nahid Rana, giving a catch behind the wickets. He scored 19 runs off 25 balls before returning to the pavilion.
After losing two wickets for 54 runs, a big responsibility fell on Tom Latham’s shoulders. But the captain, on the contrary, compounded the team’s troubles. On the fifth ball of the 17th over, Miraz bowled a delivery over middle stump, which Latham top-edged while attempting a sweep, sending it to Shoriful standing at short fine leg. Latham scored 5 runs off 13 balls.
With the team in trouble after losing 3 wickets for 61 runs, Nick Kelly and Mohammad Abbas steadied the innings. Kelly, in particular, batted brilliantly, reaching his personal fifty in 68 balls. However, he couldn’t last much longer after his fifty, getting out for 59 runs off Mustafiz’s bowling. This broke the 47-run fourth-wicket partnership.
Shoriful bowled Abbas, who had started well, for 25 runs off 36 balls. With this, the Kiwis lost their fifth wicket for 124 runs and were largely out of the match. After that, no one else could stand firm except Dean Foxcroft, whose innings of 75 runs only reduced the margin of defeat.
Earlier, batting first after losing the toss, Bangladesh lost a wicket on the second ball of their innings. Opener Saif Hassan departed for the pavilion early, caught behind off William O’Rourke’s bowling without opening his scoring account.
Tanzid Hasan Tamim, who scored a half-century in the previous match, could not perform well with the bat, scoring 1 run off 5 balls. Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar tried to stabilize the team after losing 2 wickets for 9 runs, but this partnership also could not last long. Soumya was out after scoring 18 runs off 26 balls.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Kumar Das then steadied the team in the fourth wicket. Although they started cautiously, they gradually became aggressive against the Kiwi bowlers, and Bangladesh’s innings began to grow. Together, they added 160 runs to the partnership, laying the foundation for a good total for the Tigers. Litton stopped at 76 runs after completing his fifty.
Meanwhile, Shanto also completed a century after his fifty, which was his fourth century in his ODI career. Shanto’s innings ended at 105 runs; his excellent innings off 119 balls was adorned with 9 fours and 2 sixes.
Additionally, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was out for 22, Shoriful Islam for 1, and Tanvir Islam for zero runs. Towhid Hridoy remained unbeaten on 33 and Mustafizur Rahman on 3.
