Bangladesh Secures Monumental Win Against New Zealand in the Opening T20I in Napier

In a remarkable display of skill, Bangladesh secured a five-wicket victory against New Zealand in the first game of their three-match Twenty20 series in Napier on Wednesday. This marked Bangladesh’s first-ever T20 win on New Zealand soil, coming just days after their initial away one-day international triumph against the Black Caps in the same city.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed his excitement and pride in the team’s performance. After being asked to bat first, New Zealand struggled early on, eventually reaching 134 for nine in their 20 overs. Shanto praised his bowlers for adapting quickly to the conditions and gaining confidence from restricting New Zealand’s score.

New Zealand’s bowlers initially sparked hope among local fans by taking early wickets, including those of Bangladesh openers Rony Talukdar and Shanto. However, Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar, followed by Towhid Hridoy, brought stability, guiding Bangladesh to 96-4 after 13 overs. A brief wobble at 97-5, following Afif Hossain’s dismissal, added tension to the match.

Das played a crucial role, scoring 42 not out despite battling cramps and surviving two close calls, including a reversed lbw decision and a boundary catch turned six due to an error by Ish Sodhi. The winning runs were scored by all-rounder Mahedi Hasan, who notched 19 not out in a crucial 40-run partnership with Das, securing the win with eight balls remaining.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, filling in for rested regular skipper Kane Williamson, acknowledged Bangladesh’s impressive bowling and admitted that the powerplay phase was pivotal in the match’s outcome.

Looking ahead, the second and third T20 Internationals are scheduled at Mount Maunganui on Friday and Sunday. Bangladesh, ranked ninth in T20 international cricket, demonstrated exceptional skill against the third-ranked New Zealand, continuing their momentum from the one-day series.

In the match, Hasan made an impact by bowling Tim Seifert in the opening over. Shoriful Islam led the Bangladesh bowling attack with 3-26, including key wickets of Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman made brief contributions, but the team struggled overall.

Santner and James Neesham added 41 runs before Neesham fell just shy of a half-century. Adam Milne’s six off the final ball brought his score to 16 not out, but Bangladesh successfully chased down New Zealand’s total.