new delhi, April 27
Tawhid Hridoy rallied Bangladesh with a fine unbeaten half-century and to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first T20 International in Chattogram on Monday.
His 51 not out off 27 balls, which included 2 fours and 3 sixes, helped the home side cruise to victory in 18 overs. He was first involved in a 57-run partnership with Parvez Hossain and another 49 with Shamim Hossain. Zealand posted a challenging 182-6, after 51 each from Dane Cleaver and opener Katene Clarke, and looked well-placed after their bowlers had Bangladesh reeling at 77-3 in the 11th over. However, Hridoy held firm and Bangladesh posted 183-4, winning with 12 balls to spare.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, the only player from New Zealand’s recent World Cup campaign, led the visitor’s early charge with 2-40.
Hridoy then counterattacked to bring the asking run rate under control with support from Parvez Hossain, who made 28 off 14 balls. After his dismissal, Shamim Hossain came in to hit an unbeaten 31 off 13 balls. captain Liton Das won the toss and put New Zealand into bat first. Clarke and Cleaver shared an 88-run stand for the second wicket after opener Tim Robinson was run out for a duck in the second over.
Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who took 2-32, then removed both of the set batters in consecutive overs to stall the progress. Bangladesh’s pace trio of Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and debutant Ripon Mondol were initially wayward but pulled things back after the breakthrough.
Tanzim dismissed Bevin Jacobs to leave the visitors under pressure. Stand-in New Zealand captain Nick Kelly, leading in the absence of injured Tom Latham, steadied the innings before a brief interruption due to bad light.
Following the break, Josh Clarkson provided late impetus with an unbeaten 27 off 14 balls to guide New Zealand to a challenging total.
The three-match series continues Wednesday in Chattogram.
Tawhid Hridoy’s explosive innings of 51 not out from just 27 balls was the cornerstone of Bangladesh’s successful chase. His ability to accelerate the scoring rate and form crucial partnerships proved decisive in overcoming New Zealand’s challenging total. Despite the loss, New Zealand’s innings featured impressive performances from Dane Cleaver and Katene Clarke, who both scored 51. Their 88-run partnership provided a solid foundation, while Josh Clarkson’s late cameo added valuable runs to the total.
