Bangladesh produced a disciplined bowling performance led by Nahid Rana to dismiss New Zealand for 198 in 48.4 overs, putting themselves in a strong position to level the series.
Rana starred with a five-wicket haul, his second in consecutive ODI series following his 5 for 24 against Pakistan last month. His spell proved decisive as he made an impact across all phases of the innings.
Rana Strikes Across All Phases
Rana made an immediate impression, striking with the first ball of an over on three separate occasions. He picked up two wickets in the opening powerplay, added another in the 29th over, and finished strongly with two more in the closing phase.
Bangladesh’s fielding unit complemented the bowling effort effectively. They cut off singles inside the circle and prevented boundaries in the deep. Wicketkeeper Litton Das completed two sharp catches, while Towhid Hridoy took three, including a diving catch at long-on to seal the final wicket in the 49th over.
Early Breakthroughs Put New Zealand Under Pressure
Introduced into the attack in the eighth over, Rana struck quickly in his first two overs. He trapped Henry Nicholls lbw for 13 with a delivery that jagged back, before dismissing Will Young for 2, who edged a short ball to Soumya Sarkar at gully.
More Read
New Zealand captain Tom Latham followed soon after, edging Soumya Sarkar behind to Litton Das, who marked his 100th ODI with a well-judged low catch. Latham departed for 14 off 35 balls, leaving the hosts in early trouble.
Kelly Leads Recovery Effort
Nick Kelly and Muhammad Abbas then attempted to rebuild the innings with a steady partnership in the middle overs. Abbas ended a long boundary drought with an edged four in the 20th over, while Kelly followed up with attacking strokes, including boundaries off Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed.
Kelly brought up his half-century in the 27th over and looked set for a bigger score. The pair added 56 runs for the fourth wicket, the highest partnership of the innings, before Rana returned to break the stand.
More Read
Abbas was dismissed for 19, with Litton producing an impressive running catch at fine leg. Kelly then shifted gears, moving around the crease and attacking the bowlers, despite taking a blow on the helmet while attempting a hook shot.
His innings ended on 83 when he was caught at midwicket off Shoriful Islam, halting New Zealand’s hopes of a late surge.
Late Collapse Seals Bangladesh’s Dominance
The lower order struggled to build momentum as wickets fell regularly. Josh Clarkson was dismissed for 6, caught at point off Rishad Hossain.
Rana returned for a third spell and continued his impact, removing Dean Foxcroft in the 43rd over with a catch taken by Towhid Hridoy at deep square leg. He then completed his five-wicket haul by bowling Jayden Lennox for a duck with a pinpoint yorker.
Rana finished his spell strongly, maintaining pressure until the end as New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 198, giving Bangladesh a clear opportunity to square the series.
