Bangladeshand fast attack produced a dominant performance as New Zealand were bowled out for a paltry 98 in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. With a small target of 100, the Tigers cruised home in 16.1 overs for the loss of just one wicket to record a comprehensive eight-wicket win.
New Zealand’s Batting Woes Begin Early
New Zealand’s woes began right from the start as they lost Finn Allen and Devon Conway cheaply inside the first three overs. Taskin Ahmed was the wrecker-in-chief, dismissing both openers for ducks. With the top order gone early, the middle order failed to bail New Zealand out. Will Young and Tom Latham showed some resistance with a 33-run partnership, but once the partnership was broken, the wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.
Shoriful Islam was the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 29 runs in his 8 overs. He was ably supported by Mustafizur Rahman and Ebadot Hossain, who took 2 wickets each. New Zealand’s innings folded for a paltry 98 in 28.1 overs, their lowest ODI score against Bangladesh.
Easy Hunting of Bangladeshand
Bangladesh’s openers Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das made the chase easy. The duo put on a 79-run stand for the first wicket before Tamim Iqbal was dismissed for 40. Liton Das scored an unbeaten 50 to guide Bangladesh to a comfortable victory. Shakib Al Hasan scored an unbeaten 17 as Bangladesh reached the target in just 16.1 overs.
Man of the Match: Shoriful Islam was awarded Man of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance. He took 3 wickets for 29 runs and helped New Zealand to a low score.
Bangladeshand dominant bowling display
The win was a dominant performance from Bangladesh pace attack. They were disciplined throughout the innings and never allowed the New Zealand batsmen to settle. Karm Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman all played with speed and accuracy making it difficult for the batsmen to score.
New Zealand’s stunning fragility exposed
New Zealand and the batsmen let them down again. They have struggled with the bat of late and their performance in this match was yet another example of their fragility. The top order could not build a solid base and the middle order could not capitalize on the good start of Young and Latham.
What and then?
The second ODI of the series will be played at the same venue on December 26. Bangladesh will be looking to build on their first match win and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. On the other hand, New Zealand must find a way to stop Bangladesh’s pace attack and get a more competitive result.
Innings:
New Zealand: 98 all out (28.1 overs)
Will Young: 25 (40)
Tom Latham: 22 (37)
Shoriful Islam: 3-29 (8 overs)
Taskin Ahmed: 2-16 (5 overs)
Mustafizur Rahman: 2-32 (7 overs)
Bangladesh: 100-1 (16.1 overs)
Liton Das: 50* (46)
Tamim Iqbal: 40 (35)
Shakib Al Hasan: 17* (10)
Result: Bangladesh won by 8 wickets with 189 balls remaining
Player of the Match: Shoriful Islam
Key Takeaways:
Bangladesh’s pace attack was the star of the show, bowling New Zealand out for a paltry 98.
Shoriful Islam was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 29 runs.
New Zealand’s batting woes continue as they fail to put up a competitive score.
Bangladesh will be looking to build on their win in the first match and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
