Bangladesh take series thanks to Shakib Al Hasan heroics
Bangladesh won their first ever ODI series against a Test-playing nation when they beat http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, who had gone into this ODI with a
2-0 lead knew that a rained-off game or a win would give them the series after they had won the first and third match, and the second was abandoned due to rain. An all-round effort by the hosts saw them win the tightly contested game by nine runs.
New Zealand won the toss and decided to chase. Bangladesh were in early trouble when their best batsman from the previous game, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mills-c76321 got one
to bounce up disconcertingly and Nafees could only edge the ball to the wicket-keeper.
Junnaid Siddique (17) and Raqibul Hasan (6) did not last too long either as they became Mills’ and debutant Hamish Bennett’s victims as the Bangladeshis looked like going back to their old ways of collapsing
at the drop of a pin.
However, the rescue act came from their most consistent batsman – and captain – Shakib al http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hasan-c61990, who got the innings back on track. Imrul Kayes gave him good company to get the score to 97 before he was dismissed
in the 19th over.
At the other end, Shakib completed his half century and then, in the partnership with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahmudullah-c1877 (37) got the Bangladeshi score up to 216/5 with 44 balls to go. In the process, he also got to his sixth ODI
century and the Bangladesh team looked good to get to 270 plus.
Unfortunately, the sapping heat at Dhaka got to the captain and he was dismissed for 106. This triggered another collapse and the Bangladesh team capitulated to 241 all out with 11 balls to spare.
242 was not a mammoth total but the Kiwis have had a bad series with the bat thus far. And with the early loss of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BJ-Watling-c1172, the target grew stiffer. Brendon McCullum smacked a couple of boundaries but the
Bangladeshi spinners kept on striking at regular intervals to reduce the Kiwis to 80/5. Shakib was in the thick of things again, getting a couple of wickets.
There was a nice rearguard action from the new-comer Kane Williamson, but the rest of the batsmen failed to get a move on. It took the number nine batsman, Nathan McCullum to give Williamson some company,
but by then the asking rate spiralled to beyond easy. Williamson had the consolation of getting to a century, but with more than 10 runs required per over, Bangladesh ended the game up by nine runs.
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