In a thrilling cricket showdown staged in Mirpur, New Zealand asserted their dominance with a resounding seven-wicket triumph over Bangladesh. This triumph was fueled by a stellar display of bowling prowess from Adam Milne, who clinched four pivotal wickets. Will Young’s masterful batting performance, complemented by valuable contributions from New Zealand’s part-time bowlers, solidified their grip on the game. This victory served as impeccable preparation for the Kiwis as they gear up for the imminent ODI World Cup.
Will Young’s innings epitomized grace under pressure and adaptability. His innings began cautiously, consuming ten deliveries before opening his scoring account. However, once he found his rhythm with a boundary, Young never looked back. The barrage of short deliveries from Bangladesh’s seamers was met with remarkable pull shots and elegantly placed boundaries through midwicket and cover.
Young’s innings assumed paramount importance as New Zealand faced a minor hiccup, losing Finn Allen and debutant Dean Foxcroft to consecutive deliveries during the tenth over. The onus fell on Henry Nicholls, who had struggled to find his rhythm. However, Young exhibited unwavering composure, reaching his fifty in 64 balls before accelerating his scoring rate.
His surge through the 50s and 60s, marked by consecutive fours off Hasan Mahmud in the 26th over and a flurry of runs against Nasum Ahmed in the 28th over, culminated in a graceful dismissal for a well-compiled 70 in the 30th over. By this point, New Zealand required just 42 more runs for victory, a task efficiently handled by Nicholls and Tom Blundell, securing a win with over 15 overs to spare.
In the preceding innings, Najmul Hossain Shanto led a spirited counter-attack during his ODI captaincy debut for Bangladesh. Shanto’s blazing half-century, featuring ten exquisite fours in his 84-ball 76, emerged as the standout performance for the hosts. However, Bangladesh grappled with forging substantial partnerships, with Mahmudullah’s 21 being the second-highest contribution, ultimately culminating in a modest total of 171 runs.
Adam Milne, stepping in for Kyle Jamieson, made an immediate impact with a searing yorker that dismantled debutant Zakir Hasan’s stumps in the second over. In the sixth over, Trent Boult compounded Bangladesh’s woes by dismissing opener Tanzid Hasan, caught at first slip. These early breakthroughs left Bangladesh reeling at 35 for 3, desperately seeking stability.
Shanto, now leading by example, continued to anchor one end. He exhibited remarkable proficiency against both aggressive pace and spin, reaching his fifth ODI half-century by the 20th over. Nonetheless, Lockie Ferguson’s well-directed short delivery concluded Mushfiqur Rahim’s vigil, and Milne returned to dismiss Mahmudullah. Shanto’s departure, while attempting another reverse sweep against Cole McConchie’s part-time offspin, paved the way for New Zealand’s resurgence.
New Zealand efficiently cleaned up the tail end of Bangladesh’s batting lineup. McConchie accounted for Nasum, stumped by the wicketkeeper, while Rachin Ravindra secured Hasan’s wicket, lbw. Milne concluded his stellar performance with impressive figures of 4 for 34 after dismissing Shoriful, the last batsman to fall, caught at cover.
Sodhi, who had been the hero with six wickets in the second ODI, had an off day, conceding 40 runs in six wicketless overs. Nevertheless, Ravindra and McConchie rose to the occasion, contributing a combined tally of 10-1-38-3, complementing Boult’s two vital wickets.
With this series triumph, New Zealand’s sights are now set on Hyderabad, India, where they will engage in a World Cup warm-up encounter against Pakistan. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, having unveiled their World Cup squad, readies themselves for a preparatory clash against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, India. Following the World Cup, these two cricketing giants will renew their rivalry in a Test series.