Consolation win for NZ in T20I series finisher
AFP
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New Zealand grabs a 27-run consolation win against Bangladesh in the fifth and final T20I of the series at the Sher e Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Friday.
A comprehensive victory for New Zealand but the host Bangladesh will take the series 3-2. This completes the third consecutive series win for the Tigers.
Afif Hossain’s unbeaten 49 was in vain as chasing the target Bangladesh managed to score 134 for 8 wickets in the allotted overs.
Bangladesh lost opener Liton Das for 10 runs in the fourth over. Bangladesh slipped into further peril as New Zealand bowler McChonchie struck to remove Soumya Sarkar (4).
Young fast-bowler Ben Sears took his maiden wicket by dismissing Mohammad Naim for 23 runs off 21 balls with three boundaries.
Mushfiqur Rahim (3) also departed early with a catch in the long-off, grabbed by the fielder off Rachin Ravindra.
Then Mahmudullah pulled up a 63-run stand with Afif, however, Kuggeleijn castled the captain in the 15th over. He was dropped on 13 by McChonchie when he attempted to slog-sweep instead got a big top-edge.
Despite the domination of Kiwi bowlers Afif played a knock of 49 runs off 33 deliveries, hitting two fours and three sixes. He tried to build up partnerships, but wickets fell at regular intervals.
New Zealand after winning the toss on a slow and low surface opted to bat first. They made a scorching start as the openers Finn Allen and Ravindra put on 58 runs in the opening stand. They reached the 50-run mark within 31 balls. However, young pacer Shoriful made an important comeback by removing Ravindra and Allen in the same over.
Ravindra (17) was caught at mid-off by Mushfiqur Rahim, while Allen, who had survived an lbw in the fifth ball, was bowled on the sixth delivery in Shoriful's over. Allen played a storming innings of 41 runs in 24 balls, smashing four fours and three sixes before being bowled.
Then, Will Young (6) fell prey to Afif when the batsman tried to drive through the off-side, but got an edge and Nurul Hasan did the rest behind the stumps.
Shamim Hossain took a stunning catch of de Grandhomme (9) at the long-off, who was dismissed by left-arm Nasum Ahmed for the fourth time in the series.
New Zealand captain Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls put on some resistance by adding 35 runs for the fifth-wicket stand. The duo were shaping the innings when pacer Taskin Ahmed struck to break the stand, dismissing Nicholls on 20 in the 16th over.
Then Latham and McChonchie buoyed the team to a strong total of 162 runs, while the captain made his second T20 fifty. He remained unbeaten on 50 off 37 deliveries.
Latham and Nasum was adjudged the joint-player of the series.
