Khairul Alam From Mirpur Stadium ; Dhaka – Despite missing their regular stars due to franchise leagues like the IPL and PSL, a young New Zealand side pulled off a brilliant 26-run victory against Bangladesh in the first ODI at Mirpur. Chasing a target of 248, the hosts were bundled out for 221 runs in 48.3 overs.
Bangladesh entered the match as clear favorites, given their full-strength squad and familiar home conditions. However, the visitors’ disciplined bowling proved too much for the Mehidy Hasan Miraz-led side.
Early Collapse and Rebuilding
Bangladesh’s chase started poorly, losing opener Tanzid Hasan (2) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (0) in consecutive balls to pacer Nathan Smith in the fourth over. Saif Hassan and Litton Das then stabilized the innings with a 93-run partnership. Saif scored 57 off 76 balls before throwing his wicket away, while Litton fell for 46, clean-bowled by Dean Foxcroft.
Middle-Order Failure
The momentum shifted once the set batters departed. Afif Hossain struggled for fluency, scoring 27 off 49 balls. Skipper Miraz failed to lead from the front, getting out for just 6 while attempting an unnecessary reverse sweep.
Tickner’s Triple Strike
The finishing blow came from pacer Blair Tickner. In the 46th over, he dismissed Rishad Hossain and Shoriful Islam in consecutive deliveries. He later removed Taskin Ahmed to finish with figures of 4/40, effectively ending Bangladesh’s hopes.
Hridoy’s Lone Battle
Amidst the batting collapse, Towhid Hridoy fought a lonely battle, scoring a gritty 55 off 58 balls. However, with no support from the other end, he was the last man to fall in the 49th over. Bangladesh lost their final six wickets for just 37 runs, handing the “inexperienced” Kiwis a 1-0 lead in the series.