Tigers clinch another famous T20 series victory
Bangladesh registered their maiden T20I series victory over New Zealand after beating the visitors by six wickets during the fourth match of the five-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed and pacer Mustafizur Rahman set up the victory for the hosts as they claimed four wickets each to dismantle New Zealand innings and bowl them all out for only 93 runs in 19.3 overs.
Bangladesh lost a few early wickets in the small run-chase but skipper Mahmudullah played a crucial unbeaten knock of 43 off 48 balls to guide the hosts home in the last over and take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.
It was Bangladesh’s third successive T20I series win, only the first time in their T20I history after they defeated Australia and Zimbabwe by 4-1 and 2-1 margin respectively before the series.
Opener Mohammad Naim was the second highest scorer for the Tigers with 29 runs.
The Tigers, who fielded an unchanged side from their previous three matches of the series, took no time to create panic in New Zealand camp after the Kiwis won the toss and elected to bat first.
Nasum gave Bangladesh the first breakthrough by removing Rachin Ravindra for nought in the penultimate delivery of the first over while he dismissed the other opener, Finn Allen, on 12 in his next over.
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham (21) and Will Young (46) then put up a 35-run stand for the third wicket before off-spinner Mahedi Hasan got rid of Latham with Nurul Hasan doing a fine stumping behind the wicket.
The Kiwi innings started to collapse after Nasum came back to bowl his last over and took two wickets in two balls to reduce the Blackcaps to 52-5.
Nasum bowled Henry Nicholls on one before he forced Colin de Grandhomme an edge to the wicketkeeper in the next ball to create an opportunity of a hat-trick in the match which he, however, failed to achieve later on.
However, Nasum was successful to finish with his career-best T20I bowling performance, 4-10 in the match with two maidens, surpassing the previous record of 4-19 against Australia during the previous series.
After Nasum, it was pacer Mustafizur, who took the burden of wrapping up New Zealand innings on his shoulder and he took four out of their last five wickets to finish with 4-12 in 3.3 overs.
Mustafizur first removed Tom Blundell before he took a spectacular return catch off his own bowling to send Cole McConchie to the pavilion in the same over.
The left-arm pacer finished the New Zealand innings in the last over when he took the wickets of Young and Blair Tickner to hand the visitors their seventh lowest T20I total.
Bangladesh, in reply, lost Liton Das (six) in the third over of their innings before last match hero Ajaz Patel took the wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim in the same over to reduce the hosts to 32-2 in the sixth over.
Mahmudullah and Naim then rebuilt the innings with a 35-run stand for the fourth wicket off 51 balls before the latter was run-out with Bangladesh still needing 27 runs in the match.
Mahmudullah ensured Bangladesh's safe passage to the victory with a 29-run stand for the fifth wicket with Afif Hossain (six not out) as Bangladesh reached 96-4 in 19.1 overs to complete another dominating series win at home soil.
The fifth and last T20I of the series will take place on Friday at the same venue.
