Bangladesh’s pace attack shredded New Zealand’s batting on a green Napier pitch to record a historic nine-wicket win in the third and final one-day international on Saturday.
Having been well beaten in the first two matches to cede the series, Bangladesh produced a remarkable form reversal at McLean Park to dismiss the hosts for just 98 in 34.1 overs.
The run chase was a procession, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto scoring an unbeaten half-century as they coasted to 99-1 in 15.1 overs.
It was Bangladesh’s first ODI win over the Black Caps on New Zealand soil, having lost the 18 previous fixtures.
Shanto’s contribution began with him winning the toss and inserting the Black Caps on a green, bouncy surface which also offered sideways movement – and his seamers responded.
Three of them picked up three wickets as New Zealand were skittled for their lowest total in 45 ODIs between the teams.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib (3-14) and Soumya Sarkar (3-18) both bagged career-best figures while Shoriful Islam’s 3-22 included the scalp of top-scoring Will Young, caught in the gully for 26.
Young has been in superb touch in the series, scoring 105 and 89 in the wins in Dunedin and Nelson respectively.
Captain Tom Latham (21) put on 36 with Young for the third wicket but his dismissal – clean bowled by Islam – sparked a collapse which saw the last eight wickets fall for 40 runs, many of them to wayward shots.
There was an early blemish in the run chase when opening batter Sarkar – who scored 169 in a losing cause in Napier on Wednesday – was forced to retire hurt for four because of an eye problem.
Loose New Zealand bowling meant there were few problems from that point, with Shanto (51 not out) putting on 69 with opener Anamul Haque, who was the only batsman dismissed when edging paceman William O’Rourke on 37.
O’Rourke had earlier been struck for four successive boundaries by the free-hitting Shanto in the 11th over of the innings.
The teams will prepare for a three-match T20 international series, starting in Napier on Wednesday.
