Mustafizur, Mushfiqur star as B'desh defeat New Zealand in first T20I
Sep 01, 2021
Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 1 : Mustafizur Rahman's three-wicket haul and Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten 16-run knock helped Bangladesh defeat New Zealand by seven wickets in the first T20I of the five-match series here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.
With this win, Bangladesh has taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The next match will be played on Friday.
Chasing 61, Bangladesh got off to a bad start as openers Mohammad Naim (1) and Liton Das (1) were dismissed with the score being just 7. However, experienced campaigners Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim got together to put 30 runs on the board. However, in the 10th over, this stand came to an end as Rachin Ravindra dismissed Shakib (25), reducing Bangladesh to 37/3.
In the end, Mushfiqur (16*) and Mahmudullah (14*) guided Bangladesh to a seven-wicket win with 30 balls to spare.
Earlier, a spirited bowling performance from Bangladesh bowlers helped the hosts bundle out New Zealand for just 60 inside 17 overs.
Opting to bat first, New Zealand got off to a bad start as the side lost its first four wickets with just nine runs on the board. Rachin Ravindra (0), Will Young (5), Colin de Grandhomme (1), and Tom Blundell (2) all failed to leave a mark with the bat and Bangladesh spinners came into their own pretty early on.
Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls put on 34 runs for the fifth wicket but Bangladesh stormed right back as Saifuddin and Shakib dismissed Latham (18) and Cole McConchie (0), reducing New Zealand to 45/6 in the 12th over.
No Kiwi batter was able to stay at the crease for a long haul and in the end, the visitors were bowled out for 60 inside 17 overs.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 60 all out (Tom Latham 18, Henry Nicholls 18, Mustafizur Rahman 3-13); Bangladesh 62/3 (Shakib Al Hasan 25, Mushfiqur Rahim 16*, Ajaz Patel 1-7).
