Bangladesh had a clean sweep against the touring New Zealand in the five-match Micromax Cup when the Tigers registered a nail-biting three-run win against the Kiwis in the fifth and last One Day International (ODI) Watch at the jam-packed Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday.
Bangladesh won the ODI series by 4-0.
Electing to bat first, Bangladesh made 174 in 44.2 overs and then bowled out New Zealand for 171 remaining three deliveries.
Bangladesh made a shaky start as the home side lost their early four wickets for 77 runs.
Later, skipper Shakib Al Hasan and wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim salvaged their team from early debacle contributing together 55 runs in the fifth. Shakib Al Hasan was caught at the mid wicket by Kane Williamson off Grant Elliott scoring 36 when the team’s total was 132 for the loss of five wickets.
Shakib hit two fours in his 47-ball knock.
After dismissal of Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh lost their wickets in regular interval.
Shakib Al Hasan scored 213 runs and grabbed 11 wickets in the four matches and was adjudged the Player of the Series for his all-round performance.
Opener Imrul Kayes made 34 off 50 balls with three fours and two sixes before he was trapped leg before wicket by Daniel Vettori.
Mushfiqur Rahim knocked 29 using 41 deliveries with four shots across the ropes before he was cleanly bowledout by Grant Elliott.
Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills bagged three wickets each instead of 32 and 36 runs respectively while Grant Elliott and Andy McKay got two wickets each for 8 and 34 runs respectively.
New Zealand had a poor start as medium pacer Rubel Hossain dominated over the Kiwis and dismissed early three wickets of the tourists. Promising Rubel Hossain was adjudged the Man of the match. Rubel dismissed dependable opener Brendon McCullum
for four, harpooned opener Jesse Ryder for four, and scalped promising Kane Williamson for a duck.
The Kiwis lost their early five wickets for just 20 runs.
Captain of New Zealand team Daniel Vettori and Grant Elliott tried to survive from early defeat adding together 86 runs before Daniel Vettori was caught at the long on by Shafiul Islam off Shakib Al Hasan when the score board was showing a total of 106 for the loss of six wickets.
Grant Elliott was the day’s most successful batsman with 59 runs.
His 105-ball innings was decorated with seven shots beyond the fence.
Daniel Vettori hit 43 off 78 balls.
At one stage, the Kiwis needed three runs from four balls but their hope went into vapour when Rubel Hossain cleanly bowled Kyle Mills for 33. Mills cracked two sixers and two fours.
Rubel Hossain bowled extremely well and finished as 9.3-1-25-4.
Spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with two wickets each in lieu of 34 and 35 runs respectively.
Around twenty thousand spectators came at the galleries to watch the whitewash of New Zealand by the Tigers.
BSS adds: “I think we played really well in this series. Our boys came hard at the New Zealand side and we had a really good series,” said Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.
“The wicket wasn’t that great and our batsmen didn’t
get big scores, but our bowlers did really well.”
“Bangladesh and Shakib were outstanding,” said Vettori, whose side visit India next month for test and one-day series.
“India are one of the best teams in the world, so hopefully we can regroup there.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulated players and coach of the national cricket team, officials of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and sports-loving people as Bangladesh whitewashed
New Zealand in the five-match one-day series.
Immediately after the match, the Prime Minister in a congratulatory message said whitewashing a test-playing nation like New Zealand in the one-day series is another milestone in the cricket history of the nation.
“Bangladesh’s cleansweep in the one-day series against New Zealand has proved that Bangladesh could perform at the highest level of any sport if the sector is properly nurtured and patronized by the government,” she said.
