Tigers’ first-ever ODI win over Kiwis

Azad Majumder

After so many let downs, the batsmen finally complemented the bowlers as Bangladesh rediscovered their giant-killing act to thrash the visiting New Zealanders by seven wickets at the boisterous Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.
A career best 85 runs by Junaed Siddique and an unbeaten 60 from skipper Mohammad Ashraful took the Tigers to a position what they were destined for after the bowlers had restricted the Kiwis to 201-9 in 50 overs.
When Sakib al Hasan hit the winning run sending the ball to the fine leg off Mark Gillespie with 27 deliveries still to go Bangladesh crossed another major hurdle as they now have only England and West Indies among the Test-playing nations to beat in an one-day international.
New Zealand have always been a formidable opposition for Bangladesh and they won the last game between the two sides in just six overs. Bangladesh’s record was so poor against them that they had just made more than 200 runs only once in 11 previous meetings.
But they all are now part of history as Bangladesh got their first major win since they defeated South Africa in the last World Cup. The script had no similarity with the South Africa game, rather it bore more resemblance to the one that came again India.
Like in Trinidad, Mashrafee bin Murtaza set up victory with a piercing first spell and the spinners continued the pressure later on to have New Zealand cave in. Mashrafee claimed 4-44, but he could have returned with more impressive figure had he not conceded 25 runs in the two overs of his second spell.
Mahmudullah Riyad grounded an easy catch of Tim Southee in the penultimate delivery, otherwise it could have been Mashrafee’s second five-wicket haul in a limited-over international game.
Abdur Razzak had his best game in many days to take 3-33 that included the wicket of Jacob Oram, who nearly snatched the game from Bangladesh’s grip despite the efforts of Mashrafee.
Bangladesh nearly dismissed New Zealand under 100 runs when they reduced the visitors to 79-6, but Oram staged a great recovery with a 70-run partnership with skipper Daniel Vettori in the seventh wicket stand.
Oram, who was finally caught at long-on by Syed Rasel after making 57 off 89 balls, however, has to be grateful to Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who missed a run-out chance from a hand-shaking distance when the batsman was only on four.
Mushfique made amends by putting on 67 runs for the second wicket with Junaed that finally took the game to Bangladesh’s way and Ashraful made no mistake to capitalise on the build-up.
He and Junaed assembled 109 runs in the second wicket partnership and were separated with only seven runs away from the victory target when the later got the leading edge to give a catch at backward point.
Junaed, who had just managed 62 runs in his previous eight games, had a life on 46 when Scott Styris dropped a sharp return catch, but it was just a spot on the moon.
Other than the slight deviation from his route, Junaed was as good as any other top-class batsman and the reward was there for him – the man-of-the-match award.