Bangladesh secured a resounding victory in the first T20I of their tour to New Zealand with a substantial margin of five wickets. This triumph not only marked a significant win but also propelled the visitors into a commendable lead of 1-0 in the three-🍌match series. The Bangla Tigers exhibited a stellar performance, showcasing their prowess in every facet of the game to outshine the formidable Black Caps.
Bowlers shine for Bangladesh
Invited to bat first, New Zealand encountered a tumultuous start, losing their top four wickets quickly and finding themselves at a precarious 20/4 by the fifth over. The duo of Mark Chapman and James Neesham then embarked on a rescue mission, attempting to stabilize the innings. However, their efforts were thwarted when Rishad Hossain dismissed Chapman for 19 runs, bringing an end to their 30-run paꦍrtnership.
Despite the setback, skipper Mitchell Santner contributed a valuable 23 runs, and Neesham fell just two runs short of his half-century. In the closing stages, Adam Milne’s unbeaten 16 runs off 12 balls playe𝓀d a crucial role in guiding the hosts to a respectable total of 134/9 in the𓆉ir allotted 20 overs.
Shoriful Islam secured a trio of wickets, while Mahedi Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman contributed with a pair of dismissals each. Rishad and Tanzim Hasan Sakib e♉ach celebrated claiming a solitary wicket, showcasing a well-rounded bowling effort by the Bangladesh.
Batters seal the victory
Chasing a target of 134 runs, Rony Talukdar and Najmul Hossain Shanto departed after making brief contributions of 10 and 19 runs, respectively. Soumya Sarkar and Litton Das then formed a crucial partnership in the middle, but Ben Sears dismissed Soumya for 22 runs, disrupting their progress. Towhid Hridoy and Litton steadied the innings, carefully rotati🦩ng the strike.
However, Santner’s dismissal of Hridoy for 19 runs and Afif Hossain for just one left Bangladesh in a challenging🦂 position. With 24 runs needed off the last three overs, Mahedi and Litton ensured Bangladesh crossed the finis🐼h line, securing a five-wicket victory with eight balls to spare in the first T20I.
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Here’s how Twitter reacted:
What a performance by Bangladesh 👏
They have taken a 1𒊎-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. | 📝:
— ICC (@ICC)
//twitter.com/a_rauf𒐪rana/status/1739957943293092205
Bangladesh roars to victory in the T20I series opener against Blackcaps! Stellar teamwork in both batting and bowling sets the tone for a triumphant star🐬t on NZ turf.
— Sheikh Rakeen (@rakeenteur)
Well as all the eyes on the 2 boxing day test m🎃atches, in Napier Bangladesh stunned the Kiwis.
— Sports Geeez (@Sportsgeeez)
Bangladesh's first-ever T20I win in New Zealand!
Scorecard:
— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
Bangladesh beat New Zealand in NZ for the first♕ time in T20🅘Is.
What a wꦏin for the young Bangladesh Team. Congr🎃ats 👏🥳🎉🎉
— Muhammad Shaheer (@Muhamma66749444)
Mash,Tamim,🏅Shakib,Mushi etc they made us believe that we co🎐uld beat any team in our home conditions & we can also beat countries like WI,Sri Lanka etc away series also.And this generation of Bangladeshi cricketers are starting to win away matches &series in sena countries
— S4 (@Sak1f_4our)
A HISTORIC WIN FOR BANGLADESH. 🇧🇩💪
BANGLADESH GOT THEIR FIRST T20I WIN IN NEW ZEALAND AGAINST THEM. 🔥
CONGRATULATIONS TIGERS 🏏❤️— Surya sena (@surya_sena1934)
Bangladesh Tour of New Zealand
Bangladesh 🆚 New Zealand | 1st T20IPlayer of the Match:
Shak Mahedi Hasan (Bangladesh) | 2/14 Wickets & 19*(16) Ru𝐆ns | 🌸|— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers)
What a win for Bangladesh tiger 👏🏼, they needed this win, their fans needed this win. Maiden T20I win in New Zealand, just after maiden ODI win.
Litton Das was 🐷exceptional 🔥, and a great support from Mahedi Hasan | | 🥀| |— Paritosh Kumar 🏏 (@Paritosh_2016)
