New Zealand's Devon Conway is watched by Bangladesh's Nurul Hasan as he plays a shot during the third cricket match between New Zealand and Bangladesh of the Twenty20 tri-series at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 9 October, 2022
New Zealand's Devon Conway is watched by Bangladesh's Nurul Hasan as he plays a shot during the third cricket match between New Zealand and Bangladesh of the Twenty20 tri-series at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 9 October, 2022
Cricket

Spinners, Conway sink Bangladesh

Staff Correspondent Dhaka

Bangladesh’s misery in the tri-nation Twenty20 series continued as they suffered a crushing eight-wicket defeat against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday.

Bangladesh brought three changes in the playing XI, tried a new opening pair and demoted skipper Shakib Al Hasan to no.7 but couldn’t change their fortunes as they posted a meagre 137-8 against New Zealand.

A returning Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 33 off 29 balls while Nurul Hasan’s unbeaten 25 off 12 balls pushed Bangladesh’s total beyond 130 after they were asked to bat first.

Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto plays a shot during the third cricket match between New Zealand and Bangladesh of the Twenty20 tri-series at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 9 October, 2022

For New Zealand, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell took two wickets each.

In reply, Devon Conway made an unbeaten 70 off 51 balls and skipper Kane Williamson chipped in with 30 off 29 balls to guide the Kiwis to 142-2 in 17.5 overs.

Bangladesh ringed in three changes in their XI, bringing in Shakib, Shanto and Shoriful Islam to replace Nasum Ahmed, Sabbir Rahman and Mustafizur Rahman.

The management tried the opening pair of Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to cure the run drought at the top of the order in T20Is.

But this latest attempt also failed as the opening stand ended for just 12 runs, when Miraz got caught off Southee after scoring a run-a-ball five.

Shanto and Liton Das then steadied the innings with a 41-run stand off 35 balls.

Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto (L) and Litton Das run between the wickets

But the tide of the match once again changed to New Zealand’s favour when their spin duo of Bracewell and Sodhi came to the attack.

The promising partnership between Liton and Shanto ended as the former, who was dropped on naught, gave a return catch to off-spinner Bracewell to depart for 15 off 16 balls.

Shanto followed him to the dressing room in the next over, getting caught at long-off while trying to hit leg-spinner Sodhi for a six.

Sodhi and Bracewell struck one more time each, dismissing Mosaddek Hossain (two off four balls) and Yasir Ali (seven off nine balls) respectively to reduce the Tigers to 78-5 after 13.3 overs.

Afif Hossain faced 26 balls but couldn’t hit a single boundary. The left-hander’s struggle at the middle finally ended when he missed a straight delivery from Trent Boult which crashed onto his stumps, dismissing him for 24.

Shakib, who came to bat at no.7 in a T20I after well over four years, couldn’t make an impact as he fell to Southee in the 18th over for a run-a-ball 16.

Nurul, who came to bat at no. 8, struck two sixes off Sodhi in the 19th over and to give Bangladesh’s total some iota of respectability.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson plays a shot

Bangladesh pacers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful started well in pwoerplay, with the latter removing the dangerous Fin Allen for 16 off 18 balls.

But after Allen’s dismissal, Conway and Williamson took control of the innings. The duo formed a 85-run stand 66 balls for the second wicket to put New Zealand at the driver’s seat.

Hasan Mahmud broke the stand in the 15th over by removing Williamson.

But that didn’t have any effect on the fate of the match, as Conway, who struck seven fours and a six, and Glenn Philips (23 off nine balls) took the hosts home with 13 balls to spare.

Bangladesh, earlier, lost their opening match to Pakistan by 21 runs.

The Tigers will once again next take on Pakistan on Monday.

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