|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh won by five wickets against New Zealand in the first T20I of a three-match series at McLean Park, Napier on Wednesday to clinch their first T20I match on Blackcap’s soil. 

After their maiden ODI win in the ongoing tour, Najmul Hossain Shanto-led Tigers have now sealed their first win in the shortest format of the game in New Zealand.

Opener Rony Talukdar and captain Shanto fell in pursuit of rapid runs while chasing the target of 134 runs set by the Kiwis

Rony was dismissed after a brief innings, managing a 7-ball 10, while Shanto scored 19 off 14 balls.

Both batters were caught attempting expansive strokes, with Rony falling to Adam Milne and Shanto to James Neesham.

Litton Das and Mahedi Hasan made the unbroken partnership of 40 runs after Bangladesh had wobbled, losing five wickets for 97 runs.

Litton anchored the chase and remained unbeaten with 42 off 36 deliveries while batting with cramps to guide Bangladesh to a five-wicket win.

The right-handed opening batter had good support from Mahedi Hasan, who remained not out on 19 off 16 deliveries, as Bangladesh chased down 134 in 18.4 overs.

Earlier, Bangladesh picked up three wickets in the first nine deliveries as Mahedi and Shoriful Islam struck three times to reduce New Zealand to three for one run.

Mahedi broke opener Tim Seifert's stumps with a delivery that exhibited some spin in the very first over of the innings.

Following this, Shoriful made an impactful double breakthrough, inducing an edge from Fin Allen to Soumya Sarkar at first slip on the first ball and trapping Glenn Phillips right in front as he chose to leave the ball on the next delivery.

Mahedi then returned to get rid of the dangerous-looking Daryll Mitchell, who made quick 14 runs, bowled in identical fashion as Seifert. The Kiwis were 36 for four after six overs. 

Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain got Mark Chapman for 19 to end a 30-run partnership between him and James Neesham.

Chapman lofted the ball in the deep cover point where Tanjim Hasan Sakib took the catch.

Neesham and captain Mitchell Santner then made an important partnership of 41 runs to hold the collapse.

Shoriful bagged his third with Santner’s (23) wicket as Soumya grabbed his second catch of the match.

Neesham carried on but an attempted wide yorker from Mustafizur Rahman that gone wrong and ended up as a juicy full toss outside off to end his 48 runs innings at deep cover point.

Shoriful took 3-26, while Mustafizur finished with 2-15. Mahedi, who finished early, took two for 14 while leg-spinner Rishad Hossain got one wicket.

Debutant pacer Tanzim Hasan Sakib was expensive for 45 in four overs for a solitary wicket.