Tigers overcome Kiwi challenge
New Zealand were the only Test nation that Bangladesh had not beaten in an away ODI or one held in a neutral venue, and the Tigers were tasked with correcting that trend if they wanted to end the Ireland tri-series on a high while also clinching the sixth spot in the ICC ODI rankings. Much like they have been doing in their recent away matches, Bangladesh overcame adversity twice in their match yesterday on way to overtaking New Zealand's 270 for eight with five wickets and 10 balls to spare at the Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin.
While it was true that some of the setbacks yesterday were of their own making, the response -- first by the bowlers who restricted New Zealand to just 103 runs in the last 20 overs after some schoolboy catching errors and then by Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad, who resurrected an innings seemingly on the path of self-destruction with an unbroken 72-run stand -- revealed a resourceful side.
Yesterday's game was an academic one with New Zealand having won the league-based trophy after two wins over Ireland and one over Bangladesh in the preceding fortnight, but Bangladesh will be heartened by the win over their groupmates in the Champions Trophy -- which gets underway in England and Wales on June 1 -- and also their climb up the rankings, which will enhance their chances of gaining direct qualification to the 2019 World Cup. Bangladesh may well have been level on 12 points with New Zealand but for the washed-out opening game against the hosts.
Tamim Iqbal kicked off the chase by dancing down the wicket and hitting off-spinner Jeetan Patel for a six off the first ball of the innings. But a first-ball six quickly gave way to a first-ball duck as the other opener Soumya Sarkar sliced the third ball of the innings straight to point. An unhinged Sabbir Rahman joined Tamim and tried to belt the cover off the ball with little effect, but settled down into the first of two match-defining partnerships.
Tamim and Sabbir put on 136 in just 26.3 overs. Tamim batted responsibly, unleashing the odd trademark cover drive and pull as he reached his 22nd ODI fifty in the 19th over off his 54th delivery. Once he stopped trying to conjure shots, Sabbir was usual alive to every scoring opportunity the Kiwis presented him as he struck nine boundaries in his 83-ball 65.
However, in the 27th over, Tamim was caught for an 80-ball 65 from a slog-sweep off Mitchell Santner at deep midwicket, and that initiated a mini-collapse. Quite puzzlingly, Mosaddek Hossain, who bats lower down the order, was sent in at number four and was soon involved in a suicidal mix-up in the 29th over which saw Sabbir walking back. Mosaddek was pinned on the back foot was adjudged leg-before off Patel in the next over.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur took Bangladesh to 199 for four in the 39th over when the former, on 19, could not resist the temptation to hook in the air off Hamish Bennett, thereby falling straight into the bouncer trap set for him at fine leg.
The two most level heads in the Bangladesh team then joined forces and Mahmudullah, after a slow start, started to hit boundaries along with Mushfiqur who was already in prime form, which he announced with a delectable down-the-wicket straight six off the 12th ball he faced. When he scored his 28th run in the 46th over, Mahmudullah became the fifth Bangladesh batsman to score 3,000 ODI runs. In the next over, which started with Bangladesh needing 22 runs off 24 balls, he hit Bennett for a four and a six, and soon sealed the win with a pulled boundary off the same bowler in the second ball of the 49th.
Mahmudullah finished unbeaten on a 36-ball 46 with six boundaries and a six, while Mushfiqur was not out on a run-a-ball 45 with the help of three boundaries and that six.
Earlier, for three-fifths of New Zealand's innings it looked like Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza had made the wrong decision by choosing to field first as New Zealand skipper Tom Latham seemed to be taking the Kiwis to a huge score, with some help from the Bangladesh fielders.
The returning Nasir Hossain dropped Latham on nought off the third ball of the innings at square leg off Mashrafe. He was again dropped on 50 when off-spinner Mosaddek, for some reason, chose to run behind the retreating non-striker and consequently dropped a return chance. Latham struck up a 133-run second-wicket stand with Neil Broom after Mustafizur Rahman had opener Luke Ronchi caught for two. Broom was also dropped on 56 off Nasir by Soumya, who reacted late at extra cover.
But Nasir made amends for his fielding error by having Broom caught at square leg for 63. It was double delight for Nasir when, in his following over, a straighter one went through Latham's bat and pad and disturbed the off bail to dismiss the left-hander for a 92-ball 84.
Thanks mainly to the death bowling of Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur and Shakib and a tightening up in the fielding, New Zealand's innings fizzled out. Corey Anderson holed out off Shakib in the 39th over and then New Zealand three wickets -- Jimmy Neesham and Colin Munro caught off Mashrafe and Santner bowled by Shakib -- for just two runs between the 42nd and 44th overs.
It was then Rubel's turn to show his expertise with fast, reverse-swinging yorkers, one of those bowling Matt Henry in the 48th over as Bangladesh conceded only 33 runs off the last five overs, most of the runs coming off Ross Taylor's bat. The veteran finished unbeaten on a 56-ball 60.
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