Bangladesh right-handed opening batter Liton Das made a impressive knock of unbeaten 42 off 36 deliveries while batting to guide the tigers to a five-wicket win in the T20I opener of a three match series against New Zealand at Napier on Wednesday.
This is the Bangladesh’s first-ever T20I win over the Kiwis in New Zealand.
Das anchored the chase and had good support from Sheikh Mahedi, who remained not out on 19 off 16 deliveries, as Bangladesh chased down 134 in 18.4 overs with five wickets in hand.
Bangladesh`s seamers ran riot as New Zealand laboured to 134-9 in the opening game of their three-match T20I series on Wednesday in Napier.
Asked to bat by Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto, the hosts lost three wickets for just one run before James Neesham offered resistance by hitting 48.
Having dismissed New Zealand for 98 in Saturday`s third one-day international in losing the series 2-1, the Bangladesh bowlers picked up where they left off as Mahedi Hasan bowled Tim Seifert in the opening over.
Shoriful Islam was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with 3-26, including having Finn Allen caught and Glenn Phillips trapped lbw in consecutive balls.
Daryl Mitchell hit consecutive fours before falling for 14 to leave New Zealand 20-4.
Mark Chapman hit 19 off as many balls before being caught with the score on 50-5.
Captain Mitchell Santner and Neesham put on 41 before Soumya Sarkar made his second catch to dismiss Santner, having also caught Allen in the slips.
Neesham fell two runs short of his fifty, holing out at deep cover point, and Tim Southee was caught on eight.
Adam Milne hit a towering six off the final ball to finish 16 not out.
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