New Zealand ends 15 years drought in Bangladesh
New Zealand clinched its first ODI series victory in Bangladesh since 2008, securing a convincing seven-wicket win in the third and final match on Tuesday. After losing the ODI series to England, New Zealand has made a significant comeback in difficult conditions.
New Zealand has continued to show faith in Will Young and he displayed his ability with a composed 80-ball 70, while Henry Nicholls remained unbeaten with 50 runs as New Zealand achieved the target of 174 in just 34.5 overs, securing a 2-0 series victory ahead of the forthcoming Cricket World Cup.
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh faced early setbacks as they failed to counter high quality pace bowling of Adam Milne and Trent Boult. After losing wickest regularly, Bangladesh was bowled out for 171 runs in 34.3 overs. In response, New Zealand chased down 175-3 in 34.5 overs to win the third ODI.
Adam Milne, one of the changes in the New Zealand lineup, was instrumental with figures of 4-34.
Will Young commented, “Securing the first win since 2008 is a significant achievement for us. Our team has a strong bond, and we’re looking forward to the challenges in India.”
The series opener was washed out, and Bangladesh introduced four changes to their lineup following their loss in the second game, where they fell short by 86 runs.
Najmul Hossain, Bangladesh’s stand-in captain, demonstrated his form with a splendid 76 runs, marking his third consecutive fifty-plus score. However, the rest of the batting lineup struggled, with Mahmudullah contributing 21 as the second-highest scorer.
Bangladesh batting unit continues to struggle
In their pursuit to level the series, Bangladesh faced an early setback, losing both openers Tanzid Hasan and Zakir Hasan, leaving them at 8-2 within the third over.
Towhid Hridoy showed promise but was caught by Young off Milne for 18 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim contributed 18 runs before being dismissed in an uncanny fashion by New Zealand skipper Lockie Ferguson.
Mahmudullah managed to hit consecutive boundaries off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi but was unable to capitalize on his start, falling after a 49-run partnership with Najmul. Despite Sodhi’s record-breaking performance in the previous match, he remained wicketless this time.
Najmul continued to accumulate runs, but Bangladesh lost their last five wickets for just 34 runs. His innings ended when he attempted a reverse sweep against offspinner Cole McConchie, who claimed 2-18 in five overs. Najmul struck 10 fours during his 84-ball stay at the crease.
In response, New Zealand’s Finn Allen displayed aggression with three boundaries in the first over against left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam, while Will Young consistently found the fence. This strong start contrasted sharply with Bangladesh’s early struggles.
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However, Shoriful made a comeback, dismissing Allen for 28 and handing Dean Foxcroft a golden duck on his debut. Young and Nicholls then combined forces, forging an 81-run partnership for the third wicket. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed broke this partnership by removing Young after his impressive 70, which included 10 fours and one six.
It was a good ODI series for New Zealand who will feel more confident entering into the World Cup. On the other hand, Bangladesh will find itself surrounded with some key questions. Their batting has been quite ordinary despite running with a decent bowling attack.
