Bangladesh overcame an early setback with the bat to eventually record a handsome -run win in the 3rd ODI against New Zealand, sealing the series 2-1 in Mirpur on Thursday (April 23). Najmul Hossain Shanto, who top-scored with 105, and Mustafizur Rahman, who bagged a five-wicket haul, were the chief cornerstones who set up the hosts' win in the decider.
Bangladesh were rocked early after being asked to bat first as William O'Rourke removed openers Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan Tamim in his first two overs. The lanky seamer continued to wreak havoc in the Powerplay as Soumya Sarkar played onto his stumps, leaving Bangladesh in disarray at 32/3.
The two senior statesmen, Shanto and Litton Das, got to work even as boundaries were hard to come by - only one four and six were scored between overs 11 and 20. But the duo gave Bangladesh the partnership and stability they were after before picking up pace as the total went past 100 in the 25th over. The boundaries started to come their way more frequently and both batters raised their respective half-centuries, putting Bangladesh in pole position to dictate terms. The 160-run stand for the fourth wicket was finally broken in the 39th over as Das was bowled for 76.
Shanto soon raised his fourth ODI hundred and Bangladesh looked well-poised for an end-overs flourish. Once Shanto departed, however, three overs followed without a single boundary scored. Skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz made an 18-ball 22 while Towhid Hridoy broke free with a six off Dean Foxcroft in the 48th over. But a dual-strike from Ben Lister in the penultimate over was followed by a five-run final over by Nathan Smith as Bangladesh were restricted to 265/8. This despite Hridoy remaining unbeaten on 33 and O'Rourke, the pick of the bowlers, bizarrely bowling just seven overs on the day, as the last ten overs produced only 61 runs.
The chase got off to a poor start for New Zealand as Mustafizur, playing his first game of the series, got Henry Nicholls getting a top-edge on his pull off a short ball in the fourth over. Will Young got going with a couple of boundaries although Shoriful Islam was nagging with the new ball again. The visitors mustered just 33 in the first ten overs before managing to rotate strike more frequently, although Young then edged behind off Nahid Rana. Shortly after, Mehidy got rid of his opposite number as Tom Latham fell for five, leaving New Zealand in trouble at 61/3.
Nick Kelly, who strode out at number 3, took his time to acclimatise himself to the nature of the surface before using his feet well to put the ball away, raising a second consecutive half-century. Runs came by at a brisk clip with Muhammad Abbas giving him company. At the halfway mark, the asking rate was 6.32 RPO while Kelly was also battling a bout of cramps, shortly after which he perished for 59 to Mustafizur. Abbas was then castled by Shoriful before Nahid Rana handed Josh Clarkson a similar fate, leaving New Zealand in a hole as the asking rate then exceeded the 8-run mark.
Foxcroft then broke free to slam a slower ball from Mustafizur for six, handing the visitors their first boundary after 78 balls. But two deliveries later, Smith fell to a stunning catch from Mehidy as Mustafizur ran riot, chipping away to bag a five-wicket haul. Foxcroft ran out of partners and waged a lone battle, raising his second fifty of the series. He dealt in sixes alone, hammering seven of them and no fours, and was given a reprieve as Mehidy shelled a tough chance. The Bangladesh captain redeemed himself in the same over though to halt the Foxcroft onslaught at 75, securing a 55-run win even as the last-wicket partnership between Foxcroft and Lister was worth 50.
@B0$: Bangladesh 265/8 in 50 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 105, Litton Das 76; William O'Rourke 3-32, Jayden Lennox 2-50) beat New Zealand 210 in 44.5 overs (Dean Foxcroft 75, Nick Kelly 59; Mustafizur Rahman 5-43, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-36, Nahid Rana 2-37) by 55 runs.
