1st T20I: Towhid Hridoy stars as Bangladesh beat New Zealand in big chase

Tohid Hridoy He led Bangladesh to a sensational unbeaten half-century as they beat New Zealand by six wickets in the first T20I on Monday. Chasing a strict target of 183 runs, Bangladesh found themselves in trouble with 77 for three in the 11th over, with New Zealand’s bowlers firmly in control of the match. However, Hridoy’s orchestrated aggression turned the game on its head as he finished with 51 match-winning runs off just 27 balls, including two fours and three sixes.He first scored a crucial 57 runs in partnership with Parvez Hossain, who scored 28 runs off 14 deliveries, and later teamed up with Shamim Hossain for an unbeaten 49 runs. Shamim’s quickfire 31 off 13 balls completed the final display as Bangladesh reached 183 for 4 with two overs remaining to get the series off to a strong start.New Zealand’s strong overall result falls shortEarlier, New Zealand, electing to bat, posted a competitive 182 after impressive elective half-centuries from Dane Cleaver and Caitlin Clark, both of whom scored 51 runs. The duo shared a solid 88-run partnership for the second wicket after Tim Robinson was dismissed early. At that stage, the visitors looked poised for a bigger total in a good batting area.However, Bangladesh got one back through leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who took two consecutive knocks to remove two batsmen and halt the momentum. The pace trio of Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and debutant Ripon Mondol tightened the line and length effectively after an initial wayward start. The wicket of Tanzim’s Bevin Jacobs further curtailed New Zealand’s progress.Stand-in captain Nick Kelly’s attempt to stabilize the innings was briefly interrupted due to poor light, while Josh Clarkson’s unbeaten 27 off 14 balls provided the final impetus to push the total past 180.Despite a good start, especially Ish Sodhi’s 2 for 40, New Zealand failed to contain Bangladesh’s middle-order surge. The three-match series moves to Chittagong on Wednesday, with Bangladesh leading 1-0.