Bangladesh put up yet another brilliant team effort to beat New Zealand by five wickets in three-match T20 series opener at McLean Park in Napier on Wednesday.
Having done so, they now snapped their losing streak in New Zealand in all format of cricket. Last year, they broke the shackle in Test format and in this series, they won the third match to break ODI jinx.
The Tigers carried the confidence forward to the T20 series indeed.
Shoriful Islam and Liton Das were instrumental in the victory, which gave Bangladesh 1-0 lead.
Thanks to Shoriful's 3-26, Bangladesh restricted New Zealand for just 134-9 and thereafter Liton played a 36 ball-42 not out to help the side canter to the victory with 137-5 in 18.5 overs.
With limited resources on the board, New Zealand put huge pressure on Bangladesh by bowling in disciplined way. And at one moment when Bangladesh felt the heat, Liton came out from the shell to hit flurry of boundaries which eventually made the victory a cake-walk.
Rony Talukdar started the chase with a bang, hitting a six but New Zealand bowlers' persistency paid the rich dividends with Adam Milne removing Rony for 10 while James Neesham taking out Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for 19.
Soumya Sarkar ensured Bangladesh wouldn't be strangled by hitting 22 off 15 with two fours and six. His knock was key in helping Bangladesh maintain a healthy run rate even though Liton was accumulating runs in snail's pace.
After dismissing Soumya, New Zealand further put them on top by removing Towhid Hridoy and Afif Hossain with Bangladesh at 97-5 in fifth over.
Liton and Mahedi then took calculative risk to make New Zealand bowlers disarray and completed the inevitable for which they vowed. Mahedi was not out on 19.
Earlier, Mahedi Hasan with his offspin and medium pacer Mustafizur Rahman complemented Shoriful with two wickets haul.
Mahedi and Mustafizur gave away just 14 and 15 runs respectively in four overs to stifle New Zealand in stunning fashion.
Amid Bangladesh bowlers' carnage James Neesham struck 29 ball-48 with
four fours and three sixes to prove that the pitch had no demons. He was key in helping the side propel past 100 which looked unlikely when Bangladesh which opted to bowl first had New Zealand wobbling at one for just three wickets.
This was the worst start of New Zealand in T20 format of cricket.
Mahedi rattled the stump of Tim Seifert for duck in the first over to give Bangladesh a breakthrough and then Shoriful dealt a double strike, dismissing Fin Allen and Glenn Phillips in his consecutive deliveries.
Daryl Mitchell denied him the hat-trick but couldn't give the side a much-needed stability after the horrible start. Mahedi Hasan got rid of Mitchell after he scored 14 and then leg-spinner Rishad Hossain compounded the Kiwis' woe, getting the better of Marck Chapman for 19.
Neesham and stand-in captain Mitchell Santner added 41-run for the sixth wicket stand, to ensure that New Zealand would go past 100 at least.
As the pitch got easier, they looked threatening to post a competitive total but Shoriful in his second spell removed Santer for 23 to further trouble the hosts.
Mustafizur took out Neesham to dash New Zealand final hopes to go on berserk in the death overs.
But Adam Milne hit two sixes, including the last ball-six to give New Zealand bowlers something to defend at least.
