UNB, Dhaka :
Bangladesh restricted New Zealand only for 60/10 in 16.5 overs in the first T20I on Wednesday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
It is now the joint-lowest total for New Zealand in T20Is. Bangladesh played 10 T20Is against the Blackcaps but failed to win any of them.
On the terribly slow wicket, Mustafizur Rahman bagged three wickets conceding 13 runs while all of Nasum Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin scalped two wickets each.
New Zealand only managed to score 18 runs in the powerplay losing four wickets. They had a miserable start after deciding to bat first winning the toss as they lost the first wicket in the first over of the match bowled by Mahedi Hasan.
Rachin Ravindra, the debutant, failed to impress as he chipped a return catch and suffered a duck on his debut.
One over later, Shakib came and removed Will Young for five. Shakib put it on an in-between length, and the ball didn’t bounce as much as the batsman wanted it. Young missed the ball which eventually hit his stumps.
Nasum struck twice in the fourth over to remove Colin de Grandhomme and Tom Blundell for one and two respectively. Mohammad Naim took a regulation catch at the square leg when Grandhomme tried a mighty slog sweep, and Blundell fell while giving a return catch to the bowler.
In the next six overs, New Zealand didn’t lose any more wickets and reached 40 in 10 overs.
Mahmudullah Riyad, Bangladesh T20I captain, brought in Saifuddin in the 11th over, and he kept the faith intact removing New Zealand captain Tom Latham for 18.
In the next over, Shakib removed Cole McConchie for a duck— with this, both of the Blackcaps debutants suffered a duck each. Saifuddin struck again in the next over as Henry Nicholls fell prey to him for 17 with Mushfiqur Rahim took a dolly at the long-on.
Bangladesh’s premium T20 bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, struck twice in the 14th over scalping Ajaz Patel and Doug Bracewell for three and five respectively.
Latham and Nicholls were the best batsmen of New Zealand in this match scoring 18 each.
Eventually, New Zealand’s nightmarish batting display ended up on 60 for 10, their lowest against Bangladesh. It was also the lowest total by any team against Bangladesh.
