Nahid Rana’s five-wicket haul followed by Tanzid Hasan’s  fiery half-century got Bangladesh a six-wicket win against New Zealand. The home side leveled the ODI series, setting up the decider in Chattogram on Thursday.

It was a much-needed contribution from the Bangladesh batters, who were criticised for losing the first game by 26 runs. This time, the bowlers blew a hole through New Zealand’s top and middle orders, with Rana taking 5 for 32, his second five-for in ODIs, before the batters got them home in 35.3 overs.

Bangladesh’s chase, however, began with uncertainty once again. Nathan Smith burst through Saif Hassan with an excellent inswinger in the first over. Soumya Sarkar, drafted into the playing XI to replace Afif Hossain, fell after making eight runs. He struck Will O’Rourke for a six but New Zealand captain Tom Latham kept the three slips as he urged O’Rourke to keep bowling bouncers.

Soumya fell into the trap, when his attempted glide with a vertical bat, only reached Dean Foxcroft at third slip. Tanzid retaliated almost immediately, hitting Smith for two sixes in the fifth over. The first was over long-on, the next over midwicket with a lovely flick.

Tanzid reached his fifty with his third six, slog sweeping Foxcroft over midwicket in the 15th over. He took just 33 balls to reach his sixth half-century in ODIs.

Najimul Hossain Shanto,  who made a golden duck in the first game, was more of his dominant self, complementing Tanzid’s efforts in their third-wicket partnership. Shanto struck Foxcroft’s half-tracker for six in the 17th over, before launching Jayden Lennox over long-off for a similar result.

Tanzid was racing towards a big score, hammering Lennox for his fourth six in the 23rd over. But the left-arm spinner had the last laugh the very next ball as Tanzid top-edged a hoick across the line for Henry Nicholls to take a steepling catch tracking back at cover. It ended a 120-run third wicket stand.

Litton Das, playing his 100th ODI, couldn’t add much to the total, when Lennox had him caught off a slog in his next over. Shanto hobbled off the field after completing his fifty due to cramps.

Towhid Hridoy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz added 32 to complete the chase. Hridoy made an unbeaten 30 off 31 balls with five fours, while Mehidy struck the winning run in the 36th over.

Rana had earlier dominated the New Zealand batting line-up whenever captain Mehidy handed him the ball. He took the first two wickets: Henry Nicholls, New Zealand’s top scorer from the first game, trapped lbw, before a 146kph bouncer got Will Young. Rana got the ball to rear into the No 3 batter, who could only guide it to gully where Soumya took an easy catch.

Nick Kelly found Muhammad Abbas as a willing ally, as the pair rebuild the New Zealand innings in the middle overs. Abbas broke the boundary drought of 33 balls, when he edged Soumya to deep third in the 20th over. Kelly struck another bookended the over with another four before driving Mehidy Hasan Miraz through cover in the following over.

Kelly then laid into Taskin Ahmed, driving him down the ground and clipping him over midwicket among his three fours in the 25th over. Kelly soon reached his fifty in the 27th over, before Rana, brought back into the attack, removed Abbas. Wicketkeeper Litton ran quite a distance towards fine-leg, where he dived to complete a brilliant catch. Litton had earlier taken a fine tumbling catch to remove Tom Latham, the New Zealand captain, off Soumya’s bowling

Kelly started to apply himself as a more aggressive batter. He moved a lot around the crease, even getting hit on his visor when he tried to hook Shoriful Islam’s length ball in the 35th over. He fell to the same bowler in his next over, caught at midwicket for 83.

Bangladesh’s fielders contributed to their good showing. Towhid Hridoy took three catches including a superb effort at long-on to end the New Zealand innings.

Rana added two more to his kitty in the death overs, removing Dean Foxcroft for 15, before yorking Jayden Lennox for a duck. Rana’s five wickets apart, Shoriful Islam took two wickets while Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed and Soumya took a wicket each.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh 199 for 4 in 35.3 overs (Tanzid Hasan 76, Najmul Hossain Shanto 50 retd, Towhid Hridoy 30*; Jayden Lennox 2-36) beat New Zealand 198 in 48.4 overs (Nick Kelly 83;  Nahid Rana 5-32,  Shoriful Islam 2-32) by six wickets

[Cricinfo]

Sharmin Akhter’s 86 helped Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the first Women’s ODI in Rajshahi, which was hosting its first international match. It is also Bangladesh’s first ever WODI win against Sri Lanka, though it wasn’t without a hiccup.

Bangladesh lost four wickets for just one run when they were just seven runs away from victory. This happened after Sharmin was out stumped in the 45th over for 86, having struck 13 fours in her 127-ball effort. This was her highest score against Sri Lanka, beating her previous best 64 not out at the DY Patil Stadium in the World Cup last year.

Sharmin added 78 runs for the fourth wicket with Shorna Akter before Sri Lanka finally took a wicket after 36 overs. Then came the string of wickets. Offpsinner Dewmi Vihanga took two wickets in the 46th over when both Shorna (35) and Ritu Moni (0) were caught going for big hits. Rabeya Khan also holed out in the deep playing a poor shot, as Bangladesh were 200 for 7 in the 47th over.

Nahida Akter and Sultana Khatun then added the final six runs in nervy fashion. Sri Lanka were poor at that point as Malki Madara conceded a wide followed by a misfield in the covers to concede the winning runs.

Bangladesh’s 206-run chase started poorly when they lost Sarmin Sultana in the first over. Sultana was clean bowled by Madara for a duck with a full ball on her leg-stump. Nimasha Meepage had debutant Juairiya Ferdous caught at mid-on in the next over, having made just five runs.

When captain Nigar Sultana was given out lbw against Vihanga, Bangladesh were in trouble at 34 for 3 in the ninth over. Sharmin and Sobhana Mostary then took charge of the situation, adding 87 runs for the fourth wicket. They were only separated when Mostary suffered severe cramps on her legs in the 28th over. She had to be stretchered off, having made 41 off 56 balls with six fours.

Sharmin then had the company of Shorna Akter to further the chase, as they dominated the Sri Lanka attack from that point.

When they batted first, Sri Lanka got off to a strong start with Hasini Perera – their stand-in captain with Chamari Athapaththu missing due to a finger injury – and Imesha Dulani adding 68 runs for the opening stand.

Seamer Ritu Moni, coming around the wicket, broke the partnership in the 14th over when her inswinger wrapped Perera on the pads.

Moni removed Harshitha Samarawickrama in her next over, when the batter couldn’t get her away with a flick shot, ending up giving a simple caught and bowled chance.

Dulani and Hansima Karunaratne then took stock of the situation, adding another 52 runs for the third wicket. Dulani made 54 with six fours, before getting caught at mid-off off Sultana Khatun. Part-timer Mostary then got fortunate when Karunaratne drilled her high full-toss to Rabeya at cover. Karunaratne was dumbstruck by the dismissal, as Rabeya held on to the tough chance, after she made 54 off 71 balls.

Sri Lanka lost their way around this point, with Nilakshika Silva and Kavisha Dilhari being caught at mid-off in quick succession, to Marufa Akter and Moni, respectively.

Moni finished with 3 for 36 while left-arm spinner Nahida picked up two wickets.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh Women  206 for 7 in 48.3 overs  (Sharmin Akhter 86, Nigar Sultana 13, Sobhana Mostary 41, Shorna Akter 35; Malki Madara 2-37, Dewmi Vihanga 3-43) beat Sri Lanka Women 205 for 9 in 50 overs  (Hasini Perera 27, Hansima Karunaratne 54, Imesha Dulani 52, Kavisha Dilhari 30, Kaushini Nuthyangana 18; Nahida Akter 2-38, Ritu Moni 3-36) by three wickets

[Cricinfo]