DHAKA: Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel claimed a career-best 4-16 as New Zealand kept alive their Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh with a thumping 52-run victory in the third game on Sunday.

Bangladesh now lead the series 2-1 after having won the first T20 by seven wickets and the second match by four runs.

The fourth game is on Wednesday.

Off-spinner Cole McConchie (3-15) and left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra (1-13) also played their part in dismissing Bangladesh for only 76 in 19.4 overs after New Zealand had recovered from 62-5 to a total of 128-5 on a slow surface at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

It was Bangladesh’s joint second-lowest total in this format.

New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell shared an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 66. Nicholls scored 36 off 29 deliveries with Blundell contributing a run-a-ball 30.

After opting to bat first, New Zealand made a disappointing start. Finn Allen was out for 15 and fellow opener Rachin Ravindra also perished to a big shot when he appeared set to flourish with a 20-ball 20.

Bangladesh pacer Mohammad Saifuddin (2-28) struck twice in an over, dismissing Will Young (20) and Colin de Grandhomme (0).

A big blow for New Zealand came when off-spinner Mahedi Hasan got rid of skipper Tom Latham (5) with a return catch.

Nicholls and Blundell resisted and, playing with caution, they helped the side reach a total good enough to defend.

It got better when McConchie removed Bangladesh opener Liton Das (15), who had made an aggressive start by hitting three fours in the first two overs.

Patel then came into action and immediately made an impact with a double strike that included the wicket of Shakib Al Hasan, who played a rash shot to be out for a duck.

Ravindra dismissed opener Mohammad Naim (13) with Bangladesh relying on senior batsmen Mushfiqur Rahim (20 not out) and captain Mahmudullah to bring them back into contention.

But Patel was relentless as he removed Mahmudullah, playing his 100th T20 international, for three and Afif Hossain in consecutive deliveries, leaving Bangladesh on 43-6 from which they never recovered.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND:

F.H. Allen c Mahmudullah b Mustafizur15

R. Ravindra b Mahmudullah20

W.A. Young lbw b Saifuddin20

C. de Grandhomme lbw b Saifuddin0

T.W.M. Latham c and b Mahedi5

H.M. Nicholls not out36

T.A. Blundell not out30

EXTRAS (W-2)2

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs)128

FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-46, 3-46, 4-58, 5-62.

DID NOT BAT: C.E. McConchie, S.C. Kuggeleijn, A.Y. Patel, J.A. Duffy.

BOWLING: Mahedi Hasan 4-0-27-1; Nasum Ahmed 2-0-10-0; Mustafizur Rahman 4-1-29-1 (1w); Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-24-0; Mohammad Saifuddin 4-0-28-2 (1w); Mahmudullah 2-0-10-1.

BANGLADESH:

Mohammad Naim b Ravindra13

Liton Das lbw b McConchie15

Mahedi Hasan c Nicholls b Patel1

Shakib Al Hasan c McConchie b Patel0

Mushfiqur Rahim not out20

Mahmudullah c Nicholls b Patel3

Afif Hossain b Patel0

Nurul Hasan c Blundell b McConchie8

Mohammad Saifuddin lbw b McConchie8

Nasum Ahmed b Kuggeleijn1

Mustafizur Rahman c sub b de Grandhomme4

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3)4

TOTAL (all out 19.3 overs)76

FALL OF WKTS: 1-23 2-24, 3-25, 4-32, 5-43, 6-43, 7-57, 8-66, 9-70.

BOWLING: Duffy 4-0-15-0; Patel 4-0-16-4 (1w); McConchie 4-0-15-3; Ravindra 4-0-13-1; Kuggeleijn 3-0-14-1 (2w); de Grandhomme 0.4-0-3-1.

RESULT: New Zealand won by 52 runs; Bangladesh lead five-match series 2-1..

UMPIRES: Masudur Rahman (Bangladesh) and Sharfuddoula Saikat (Bangladesh).

TV UMPIRE: Gazi Sohel (Bangladesh).

MATCH REFEREE: Neeyamur Rashid (Bangladesh).

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Ajaz Patel.

FOURTH MATCH: Dhaka, Wednesday (3:00pm PST).

FIFTH MATCH: Dhaka, Friday (3:00pm PST).

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2021