Winning the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh aimed to post a formidable score on a batting-friendly surface. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led from the front with a resolute 77 off 105 balls, anchoring the innings after early promise from opener Tanzid Hasan (24). However, their hopes of a big total were dashed by a disciplined New Zealand bowling attack, restricting them to 236 for 9 in 50 overs.
Michael Bracewell emerged as the wrecker-in-chief, spinning a web around the Bangladeshi batters with figures of 4 for 26 in his 10 overs. His scalps included Tanzid Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (2), Mahmudullah (4), and Towhid Hridoy (7), effectively derailing the middle order. Matt Henry (2 for 42) struck early, removing Zakir Hasan for a duck, while William O’Rourke (2 for 48) cleaned up the tail. Jaker Ali’s fighting 45 offered some resistance, but Bangladesh’s lack of partnerships and frequent loss of wickets left them short of a par score.
Shanto admitted the shortcomings post-match, saying, “We started well, but losing wickets in clusters hurt us. On this wicket, we needed at least 270-280 to challenge New Zealand.”
