Bangladesh put up a brave fight before losing their first battle in the series as New Zealand bagged a consolation 15-run win in the one-off Twenty20 International in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The Tigers overcame many challenges throughout the series but not on this occasion when they ended up at 189-9, replying to New Zealand’s 204-5 on a lively Sher-e-Bangla Stadium pitch.
Set more than 10 runs per over, the home side were in dire straits when they lost three wickets for 19 runs inside 10 balls, silencing some 25,000 fans, who came to the field with a high expectation.
But Mushfiqur Rahim and Naeem Islam launched a counter-attack to bring the roar back and put the Tigers firmly in the contest, taking them to 62-4 in the first five overs of their innings.
Naeem (18) fell to an extraordinary catch by Tim Southee but there seemed no ending to the power hitting as Nasir Hossain joined his skipper to continue the onslaught, keeping the Tigers always in the hunt.
Mushfiq completed his first Twenty20 fifty in 30 matches from 28 balls and fell in the next ball on the same score and agonizingly for the Tigers Nasir (28 off 20 balls) followed him in the next over, giving a return catch to Nathan McCullum.
For many this was the end of the contest but the Tigers again proved them wrong.
Mahmudullah and Sohag Gazi added 57 runs for the seventh wicket, without allowing New Zealand to relax for a second and slowly taking the game in Bangladesh’s favour before a run-out ruined it all.
Sohag was run out for 24 and Mahmudullah (34 from 25 balls) departed soon, with Bangladesh still needing 28 runs from 10 balls.
Despite the big hitting ability of Mashrafee bin Murtaza even the most ardent fans of the Tigers were not ready to bet for them at that stage.
The New Zealand bowlers kept their composure to complete the 20 overs, leaving Bangladesh well short of their target to get something in their bag before they travel to Sri Lanka for their next series.
Beaten in all three one-dayers after the drawn Test series, New Zealand were desperate for this win and it became obvious once they won the toss and elected to bat.
Anton Devcich, making his Twenty20 debut, took the bowlers to sword to score 59 from 31 balls.
His powerful batting helped New Zealand score 70-0 during the first six overs of fielding restriction and it set the tempo of their innings.
Bangladesh, however, had their chance to send Devcich back early, but debutant Al-Amin Hossain dropped him on six at fine leg off Mashrafee in the first over of the innings.
By the time they had managed to get rid of Devcich thanks to a superb catch by Shamsur Rahman off Abdur Razzak at long-on, New Zealand were already in control.
Colin Munro built on the foundation provided by Devcich with an unbeaten 73 which came off 39 balls as New Zealand edged towards their best ever score in Twenty20 format, 214-6, against Australia in 2010.
Al-Amin bowled the final over exceptionally well and grabbed two wickets to finish with 2-31, denying the record, but New Zealand had crossed the 200-run mark something Bangladesh could never successfully chase.
-With New Age input
