In a historic moment for Bangladesh cricket, just three days after securing their first-ever ODI victory on New Zealand soil, the Tigers clinched another milestone with their inaugural T20I triumph in Napier.
Opting to bowl first on what was described as a “naughty little wicket” by Jimmy Neesham, Bangladesh showcased an impressive bowling performance to restrict New Zealand to a modest 134/9. Shoriful Islam and Mahedi Hasan played pivotal roles, sharing five wickets between them.
The drama unfolded early in the match as Mahedi Hasan’s spin dismantled the New Zealand top order. Shoriful Islam, the left-arm pacer, added to the spectacle by claiming two wickets in the very next over. The Kiwis found themselves in dire straits at 1 for 3, with key players like Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, and Glenn Phillips heading back to the pavilion.
Despite the adversity, Mark Chapman’s resilient batting in the PowerPlay salvaged New Zealand to some extent, finishing at 36/4 by the end of six overs.
New Zealand’s hopes flickered during the partnership between Neesham and Santner, contributing 41 runs for the sixth wicket—the highest of the innings. However, Shoriful Islam’s return to the attack broke the stand, as Soumya Sarkar caught Santner at mid-wicket.
Mustafizur Rahman added to New Zealand’s misery, dismissing top-scorer Neesham, who threatened to set a par score. Mustafizur’s economical 19th over sealed the Kiwi total below expectations.
In response, Bangladesh faced early setbacks, losing Rony Talukdar and Nazmul Hossain Shanto within the PowerPlay. However, the manageable target allowed Litton Das to anchor the innings with patience, supported by Soumya Sarkar’s attacking intent. Bangladesh cruised to the target with Litton’s unbeaten 42 and contributions from Towhid Hridoy and Mahedi Hasan.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand 134/9 in 20 overs (Neesham 48; Shoriful 3-26, Mahedi 2-14) lost to Bangladesh 137/5 in 18.4 overs (Litton 42*, Soumya 22) by 5 wickets
