New Zealand cricket team
Left-arm spinner Ejaz Patel claimed a career-best 4-16 as New Zealand kept their Twenty20 series alive against Bangladesh with a resounding 52-run win in the third game on Sunday.
Off-spinner Cole McConchie (3-15) and left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra (1-13) also played their part in bowling out Bangladesh for just 76 in 19.4 overs when New Zealand were 62-5 for a total of 128. reached. 5 on a slow surface.
This was Bangladesh’s joint second lowest score in this format.
New Zealand Henry Nichols And Tom Blundell shared a 66-run partnership for the unbeaten sixth wicket. Nicholls remained unbeaten on 36 off 29 balls and Blundell remained unbeaten on 30 off a ball.
Bangladesh are now 2-1 ahead in the series. Bangladesh won the first T20 by seven wickets and the second match by four runs.
The fourth match is on Wednesday.
Opting to bat first, New Zealand had a disappointing start. Finn Allen was dismissed for 15 and fellow opener Rachin Ravindra was also hit for a big shot as he flourished after scoring 20 off 20 balls.
Bangladesh pacer Mohammad Saifuddin (2-28) dismissed Will Young (20) and Colin de Grandhomme (0) twice in an over.
New Zealand suffered a major setback when off-spinner Mahedi Hasan gave a comeback catch to captain Tom Latham (5).
Nichols and Blundell protested and, playing with caution, they helped the side reach a high enough total for the defence.
It got better when McConchie removed the Bangladesh opener Liton Das (15) who started the attack with three fours in the first two overs.
Patel then swung into action and immediately made an impact with a double strike that involved the wicket. Shakib Al Hasan, who played a rash shot to get out for a duck.
Ravidra dismissed opener Mohammad Naeem (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 dismissed Mahmudullah for 3 runs and Afif Hossain off successive deliveries in his 100th T20I, leaving Bangladesh 43-6 from which it never recovered.
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