Scoring the ever-lowest 70-run in the T20 format, the Tigers finished the ICC World Twenty20 campaign with a 75-run defeat against New Zealand in their Group-2 dead-rubber Super-10 stage match at iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday. Replying to moderate 145 runs, Bangladesh collected meager 70 for all in 115.4 overs. The Tigers suffered an early batting collapse helping the New Zealand bowlers to grab wickets at regular intervals. Shuvagata Hom scored unbeaten 16 off 17 balls, including two boundaries, was the highest scorer for Bangladesh. Sabbir Rahman and Mohammad Mithun were two others double figure scorers with 12 and 11 runs respectively. Bangladesh faced the early jolt losing their dashing opener Tamim Iqbal who was run out at 4/1 in the innings’ 2nd overs’ last ball. Later, the Kiwis did not allow any Bangladesh batters to collect or pair for any big figure. Ish Sodhi and Grant Elliott enjoyed three wickets each for 12 and 21 runs respectively. Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum and Mitchell Santner took one wicket each for 3, 6 and 16 runs. Earlier, cutter-master Mustafizur Rahman’s T20I career-best five-for 22 helped the Tigers restrict in-form New Zealand at 145 for 8 wickets. The Blackcaps played 20 overs to score the moderate figure, including 11 boundaries and five sixes, spurred by the skipper Kane Williamson top-scoring 42 off 32 balls that witnessed five boundaries and one six. Colin Munro and Ross Taylor were the other doubled figure scorers adding 35 and 28 runs respectively for the side, batted first after winning the toss. On the way to his five-for, Mustafiz jolted the New Zealand batting castle first bowling out opener Henry Nicholls by a lovely slower cutter at 25/1 in 4 overs. Mustafiz conceded only 2 runs to dismiss the first-one in his last ball of the first-over spell. Mustafiz again stormed for the 2nd-one in his last delivery of the 2nd over spell. He bowled out Kane Williamson at 57/2 in 9 overs. The young sensation conceded only 7 runs in two overs for two wickets. Later, Mustafiz stunned the world cricket fraternity bagging Grant Elliott, Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum to fill the five-wicket quota for 22 runs in his four-over spell. Pacer Al Amin Hossain grabbed two wickets for 27 runs while skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza took one for 21 runs. — Dhaka, Mar 26 (UNB)
