Tigers rebuild after early setbacks
Bangladesh openers Saif Hassan and Litton Das are at the crease, rebuilding the innings after the hosts lost two early wickets in their chase of a competitive 248-run target in the opening match of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
After New Zealand posted 247 for eight, Bangladesh lost opener Tanzid Tamim (2 off 6) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (0 off 1) in consecutive deliveries. New Zealand pacer Nathan Smith rattled the stumps of both left-handers in the fourth over to reduce the Tigers to 21 for two.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Saif and Litton, however, have since managed to steady the innings, with Bangladesh reaching 51 for two after 10 overs. Saif remains unbeaten on 18 off 28 deliveries, while Litton is unbeaten on 15 off 26.
Nicholls, Foxcroft fifties guide New Zealand to 247-8 against Bangladesh
Fifties from Henry Nicholls and Dean Foxcroft helped New Zealand post a competitive 247 for eight in their allotted 50 overs in the opening ODI of the three-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
Nicholls played a composed innings of 68 off 83 balls, striking nine fours, while Foxcroft added a brisk 59 off 58 deliveries, featuring eight boundaries. The latter’s knock marked his maiden ODI fifty and provided late momentum on a tricky Mirpur surface.
Opting to bat first, New Zealand were given a steady platform by Nicholls after an early setback. For Bangladesh, Shoriful Islam impressed with figures of 2-27 from his 10 overs, stepping in for Mustafizur Rahman, who was ruled out just before the match due to discomfort in his right knee. Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain also picked up two wickets each.
Bangladesh made an encouraging start as Shoriful removed Nick Kelly (seven) in the seventh over. However, Nicholls and Will Young rebuilt the innings with a 73-run stand for the second wicket, taking the visitors close to the 100-run mark.
Rishad broke the partnership by dismissing Young (30), who attempted a reverse sweep and was caught at slip. The opener had earlier been dropped on one by Saif Hassan off Shoriful.
New Zealand then suffered a middle-order wobble, losing Tom Latham (14), Nicholls and Muhammad Abbas (14) in quick succession. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad shared a wicket apiece, while Shoriful returned to remove Abbas, leaving the visitors struggling at 165 for five in the 36th over.
Foxcroft then steadied the innings with a well-constructed knock, and Nathan Smith’s unbeaten 21 off 22 balls provided a useful late push, helping New Zealand set Bangladesh a challenging target.
Visitors lose grip after steady start
Bangladesh maintained control through the middle overs to stall New Zealand’s progress, as the visitors slipped to 165 for five in 36 overs in the ODI series opener at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday, despite briefly lifting their scoring rate after the powerplay.
After a cautious start, the visitors had rebuilt through Henry Nicholls and Will Young, who added a steady 73-run stand for the second wicket. But the home side tightened the screws in the middle phase, breaking the momentum with three wickets for just 37 runs.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd over when leg-spinner Rishad Hossain removed Young for 30, before captain Tom Latham was bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 14 soon after. Rishad then struck again in the 28th over to dismiss the well-set Nicholls for 68.
Shoriful Islam added further pressure on the visitors’ lower order, returning to remove Muhammad Abbas.
Shoriful’s discipline keeps NZ in check
Bangladesh kept things largely under control in the opening phase after New Zealand opted to bat, restricting the visitors to 50 for one in 13 overs in the first ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
Shoriful Islam led the early charge with a disciplined spell, removing Nick Kelly for seven in the seventh over after the batter had taken 15 deliveries to get off the mark. The left-armer maintained tight lines to finish with impressive figures of 5-1-9-1.
However, the home side missed a chance to tighten their grip further in the ninth over when Saif Hassan dropped Will Young at first slip, denying Shoriful a second wicket.
Bangladesh to bowl first in NZ ODI opener; Shoriful replaces Mustafizur
New Zealand captain Tom Latham won the toss and opted to bat first in the opening ODI against hosts Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday, backing their relatively inexperienced lineup to set the tone in the three-match series with the bat on a surface that is expected to slow down as the game progresses.
Bangladesh, led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, meanwhile, will look to make early inroads with the new ball and exploit familiar home conditions, with their bowlers aiming to put the visitors under pressure up front and restrict them to a manageable total.
Left-armer Shoriful Islam replaces fellow pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who felt a slight discomfort on his right knee during today's warm-up, informed team operations manager Nafees Iqbal.
Bangladesh squad
Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das (w), Tawhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana
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