New Zealand wins T20I series against Bangladesh

The Kiwis were 173/5 in 17.5 when the rain stopped the play for the second time with a heavier downpour, thus forcing the officials to set a steep revised target of 170 runs in 16 overs. Mohammad Naim, 38, and Soumya Sarkar, 51, briefly kept the visitors’ hope alive, but it was too steep a target, and they crumbled.

ESPNcricinfo adds: At the end of seven overs, Bangladesh were well placed at 76 for 1, needing a further 95 off 54 balls with nine wickets in hand. Ish Sodhi, taken for 19 off his first over, struggled to grip the ball. Adam Milne, returning to New Zealand’s XI for the first time since 2018, struggled to hit the right lengths. The game was afoot.

Then Sarkar started to try and manufacture strokes – attempting reverse sweeps and paddles, and looking to make room to muscle the ball on the face of some disciplined spin from part-timer Phillips. His two overs went for just 13 runs, while Sodhi bounced back to concede just five off his second over. The asking rate crept up and Sarkar soon holed out to long-on off Tim Southee for a 27-ball 51.

Taking a cue from the spinners, Southee used his slower variations, the cutters and the knuckle ball, to tighten the screws. Bangladesh had reached a point of no return and had to go for broke. Mohammad Naim fell to give Phillips his first international wicket, leaving Mahmudullah to do the bulk of the hitting. At that stage, they needed 60 off 23 balls. It was a task too steep, with Milne, Hamish Bennett and Southee taking two apiece to close out the game.

Earlier, in the 17.3 overs that were possible in their innings, New Zealand displayed their formidable batting depth and sustained aggression most reminiscent of England’s white-ball template. This helped them post a big total despite none of the top four managing more than Martin Guptill’s 21, after Bangladesh elected to make first use of some moisture on the surface.