Bangladesh made to wait for series win after 52-run loss

Hosts Bangladesh registered their joint second lowest total in T20Is as they lost the third game of the five-match series by 52 runs against a lower-strength New Zealand at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Sunday.

Bangladesh in pursuit of 129 were all out for 76 with two balls to spare as New Zealand defended their third lowest total in the format. 

The other second lowest total for Bangladesh, 76, was scored against the same opponent in April this year in Auckland.

New Zealand opted to bat first after winning the toss on a Mirpur surface that was better compared to the pitches which were used in the initial part of the series, or in the previous series against Australia.

Bangladesh got an early breakthrough after left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman removed opener Finn Allen for 15.

The home team removed four more New Zealand batsmen in the next eight overs to leave the tourists reeling on 62 for five in 10.5 overs.

But the momentum soon shifted towards the touring party.

Middle-order batters Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell stood firm in the middle to revive the innings.

From over 11 till 16, the New Zealand duo couldn’t get any boundary and were dealing in singles.

The attack on the Bangladesh bowlers started in the 17th over with Blundell hitting a low full toss straight past Saifuddin.

In the next over, Nicholls slammed two fours off Mustafizur to take New Zealand past 100.

Supported with a couple of boundaries, 11 runs came from the final over as the sixth-wicket partnership between Nicholls and Blundell remained unbroken on 66 off 55 balls.

Chasing the total, Bangladesh looked positive with the openers Mohammad Naim and Liton Das hitting boundaries early in the innings.

But the intent was cut short in the third over after Liton got trapped in front of the wickets for an LBW on 15.

Mahedi Hasan got promoted to bat at No 3 but the change for Bangladesh think-tank did not yield any result as the right-handed batsman could add only a single to the tally.

Bangladesh found more trouble after losing Shakib al Hasan for a duck.

The star cricketer gifted his wicket away to the tourists after he danced down the wicket to smash the ball over long-on.

Shakib however, failed to middle the ball, the bottom hand came off the bat too as Cole McConchie took a juggling a catch and put Bangladesh 25 for three which three overs later turned 32 for four with Naim perishing on a 19-ball 13.

Bangladesh still had hope with Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah in the middle but New Zealand strike bowler and Man of the Match Ajaz Patel was on point with his role after he was reintroduced.

In the second ball of the over, the left-arm spinner removed Mahmudullah for three and created a hat-trick opportunity dismissing new batsman Afif Hossain for a golden duck.

The hat-trick was denied but Patel finished the game on top with four wickets in four overs giving away just 11 runs.

With Mushfiq struggling on one end Bangladesh had their last hope pinned on Nurul Hasan. The wicketkeeper-batsman after surviving a close runout failed to justify the opportunity.

After attempting to dump the ball down the ground, he miscued it to the outfielder for a catch.

New Zealand picked up the remaining three wickets in quick succession for the thumping victory while Mushfiq stood helpless on an unbeaten 20 off 37 deliveries.