New Zealand survived a dramatic late fightback by Bangladesh to pull off a nervy two-wicket win in their World Cup clash at the Oval on Wednesday. Man-of-the-match Ross Taylor scored a 91-ball 82 before a clatter of wickets gave Bangladesh the chance to pull off a shock win. It needed a 20-run eighth-wicket stand between Mitchell Santner (17 not out) and Matt Henry (sic) to bring the target down to seven required in a highly tense atmosphere. Lockie Ferguson (4 not out) and Santner hit a boundary each to seal the win.
“It’s very nice to get across the line,” said New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
“We still knew that 250 could be quite challenging.
“It wasn’t our most clinical effort with the bat. There were a few soft dismissals that we’d want to address. But it’s a great experience to have in tournament cricket.”
Paceman Mohammad Saifuddin (2/41) and spinner Mosaddek Hossain (2/33) had given Bangladesh a glimmer of hope after New Zealand were apparently cruising towards a comfortable win.
New Zealand slumped from 160/2 to 218/7, with off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissing Williamson (40) and Tom Latham (0) in the same over before Hossain accounted for Jimmy Neesham (25).
The win is New Zealand’s second victory after their crushing 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, with the team hungry for a first-ever World Cup triumph. Read More
