Bangladesh came close but couldn’t evade a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand as they lost the third and final Twenty20 International by 27 runs at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday (January 8). Soumya Sarkar (48) and Tamim Iqbal (24) gave the 195-run chase a brisk start before the visitors ran out of steam and could only manage 167 for 6 as Ish Sodhi pulled things back with figures 2 for 22.
Having gone 18 games across formats without a win in New Zealand ahead of this game, Bangladesh looked desperate to turn things around in the final T20I. Set a steep mountain to climb, they weren’t afraid to chance their arms and put the New Zealand bowlers under pressure. Sarkar started flaying the bowlers in the first over before Tamim joined forces to collect two boundaries off Ben Wheeler in the third over.
However, the left-handed Tamim took one chance too many and fell to Trent Boult. Trying to pull a short ball, he top edged the delivery to Colin de Grandhomme at deep midwicket to fall for 24. But Bangladesh had amassed 52 in the first five overs to set the base for the chase.
Sarkar continued to punish the bowlers before the hosts pulled things back with some tight bowling. De Grandhomme and Ish Sodhi collaborated to stop the boundary flow, by bowling 14 consecutive balls of which no boundaries were scored, before the latter got rid of Sarkar. The left-hander was beaten for pace and top edged an attempted sweep back to the bowler. With momentum on their side, and the scorecard reading a healthy 84 for 2 after nine over, all Bangladesh had to do was drive the advantage home.
Sabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah sparkled briefly while Shakib al Hasan (41) tried his best to get the team over the line. However, they couldn’t replicate the efforts of the openers in what turned out to be another morale-sapping defeat.
Earlier, it was Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson who revived the New Zealand innings after a mid-innings wobble. Put in to bat, the hosts made a steady start with Williamson and Jimmy Neesham opening the batting.
The latter took a liking the Bangladesh’s opening bowlers and milked a few boundaries before his promising innings, which yielded 15 off 12, was cut short by Rubel Hossain. The pacer struck another telling blow when he dismissed last game’s centurion Colin Munro, for a duck. Twin blows had pegged New Zealand back before Mosaddek Hossain got rid of Tom Bruce to leave them in a precarious situation at 55 for 3 after ten overs.
Bangladesh’s ability to close out games has been one of the factors that has let them down so far on this tour. As wickets came, the runs dried up. However, Anderson and Williamson collaborated to stitch an 124-run associaition for the fourth wicket in 12 overs and propel their team to a daunting target.
They slammed 139 runs in the last ten overs with the carnage starting in the 11th over. The duo was proactive and picked up 48 runs in the next four overs. However, it was the 15th over that turned the tide with Mashrafe Mortaza conceding 22. Anderson hit two sixes and a four to give the innings the much-needed impetus going into the last half of the innings.
Morataza, having run out of options, turned to Sarkar in the 17th over but the moved worked in New Zealand’s favour. Anderson tonked three consecutive sixes to pick 21 off that over and help New Zealand reach the 150-run mark with three overs to go.
Williamson fell in the 19th over, when he was bowled by a full toss from Rubel, but the damage had already been done by then.
Brief scores
New Zealand 194/4 in 20 overs (Corey Anderson 94*, Kane Williamson 60; Rubel Hossain 3-31)
Bangladesh 167/6 in 20 overs (Soumya Sarkar 42, Shakib al Hasan 41; Ish Sodhi 2-22)
. Soumya Sarkar (48) and Tamim Iqbal (24) gave the 195-run chase a brisk start before the visitors ran out of steam and could only manage 167 for 6 as Ish Sodhi pulled things back with figures 2 for 22.){kind=link}