Dunedin [New Zealand], March 20 (ANI): Trent Boult took four while James Neesham and Mitchell Santner accounted for two dismissals each as New Zealand thrashed Bangladesh by eight wickets in the first ODI on Saturday.
The Kiwis took just 21.2 overs to seal the game after the hosts’ bowlers ran riot to bundle Bangladesh out for 131 in the first ODI.
Chasing a paltry score of 132, Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls stitched a 54-run stand for the first wicket within six overs to dismantle Bangladesh bowling. Taskin Ahmed provided the visitors the first breakthrough when he removed Guptill.
But Nicholls and Devon Conway again brought up a partnership worth more than 50 runs as New Zealand reached triple figures. But just at the cusp of the win, Hasan Mahmud ended Conway’s sluggish knock.
However, New Zealand had plenty of overs to get over the line and the hosts seal the match in the 22nd over to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Earlier put in to bat first, Bangladesh got off to a bad start as they lost skipper Tamim Iqbal in the fifth over.
The Bangladesh captain was off to a flying start as he smashed a six in the third ball of the match. But it was Boult who had the last laugh as he trapped him in front of stumps.
Since then Bangladesh batsmen struggled to leave a mark as New Zealand seamers kept on taking wickets at regular intervals from both ends.
Only Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim managed to score past 20 runs mark as Bangladesh was all out for 131 in 41.5 overs. Mahmudullah was the highest scorer with 27. Boult bagged 4 wickets for 27.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 131 (Mahmudullah 27, Mushfiqur Rahim 23; Trent Boult 4-27); New Zealand (Martin Guptill 38, Henry Nicholls 49*; Taskin Ahmed 1-23) (ANI)