In a historic moment for Bangladesh cricket, the Tigers secured their first-ever ODI victory in New Zealand by defeating the hosts by a big margin of nine wickets in the third ODI of the series in Napier on Saturday.
Chasing a modest target of 99, Bangladesh displayed remarkable efficiency, reaching the goal in just 15.1 overs and sealing their triumph against New Zealand.
However, New Zealand won the first two matches of the series and clinched the title.
New Zealand, put in to bat, faced an early setback as their key performer, Will Young, fell for 26 runs. Despite brief resistance from Rachin Ravindra (8) and Henry Nicholls (11), Tanzim Hasan Sakib's impressive spell turned the tide.
The right-arm pacer claimed a stellar 3 for 14, while Shoriful Islam and Soumya Sarkar also contributed with three wickets each, restricting New Zealand to a meager 98.
In response, Bangladesh navigated the chase with ease, even after Soumya retired hurt early. Anamul Haque Bijoy and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto steered the Tigers to victory without further complications, securing Bangladesh's historic ODI win in New Zealand. While Anamul was out for 37, Najmul remained unbeaten after scoring a fifty.
With this triumph, Bangladesh sets the stage for the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand, commencing on December 27 in Napier.
ARS
