New Zealand had done a clean sweep of the ODI series beating Bangladesh 3-0. There has been a quick turnaround between the ODI and T20 series. The short gap in between New Year’s Eve and the beginning of January definitely gave Bangladesh a chance to review their tactics going into the T20 series. As they have to definitely up their game if they were to stand a chance of beating an in-form New Zealand team. Especially at home where they know the grounds better than anyone else, and they have already witnessed this through the ODI series.
Bangladesh were batting first in this T20 and they didn’t start off well as they lost early wickets which really did hinder them from getting those extra runs, which would prove to be crucial as the game progressed. In the first 10 overs it was New Zealand who was dominating the match, Wheeler performed phenomenally with the ball. In the next 10 overs though Bangladesh came fighting back and this fighting spirit off theirs is something which is admired world over.
Mahmudullah was the saviour for Bangladesh in this game he scored 52 runs and this definitely helped Bangladesh get to a reasonable total, which they could potentially defend if they made early in roads with the New Zealand batsman. Bangladesh final score was 141 runs, and now it was New Zealand’s turn to come in and chase down this total. The New Zealand batsmen are known as the big hitters in the game so we were in for a sensational show nonetheless.
New Zealand lost Broom early on but the in-form captain Williamson was on fire and was very hard to stop as he remained not out. New Zealand definitely did wobble in the middle when they lost a few cluster of wickets, but the partnership of Williamson and Grandhomme was the perfect finish for New Zealand. Bangladesh did give a scare to New Zealand in the first 10 overs when their bowlers made inroads, but New Zealand came out on top and won the match by 6 wickets with 12 balls remaining. Williamson finished off on 73 runs with boundaries galore and Grandhomme chipped in with a quick fire 41 runs.
Post match conference (credit espncricinfo.com)
Mashrafe, Bangladesh captain: 15-20 runs short. Mahmudullah batted well, but we could have scored more. We got some early wickets, but Williamson batted really well, and Grandhomme supported him well. We fought well in the last ten overs with the bat, and in the first ten overs with the ball.
Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain and Man of the Match: I suppose it would have nice to do it with more efficiency. We lost some wickets in between, but credit to the bowling attack for setting the tone. The way Colin came out and the partnership at the end was fantastic. Wheeler has done it for CD; great to see him at the international level. Lockie came in and bowled fast. Santner and Colin, the slower bowlers, also showed good signs going into the next one. Good support from the crowd.