New Zealand cruised to a 26-run victory over Bangladesh on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in the first ODI of the three-match series.In hot weather, New Zealand’s pace attack proved decisive, beating Bangladesh by 221 runs in 48.3 overs after setting a target of 248 on a slow surface. The trio of Blair Tickner, Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke shared eight wickets to break up the chase with sustained pressure.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Earlier, New Zealand, who opted to bat, posted 247/8, built around Henry Nicholls’ 68 and Dean Foxcroft’s brisk 59. After losing an early wicket, Nicholls steadied the innings with a score of 73, with Will Young contributing 30 runs. Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam impressed in his return, finishing with 2/27 in a tense match.Bangladesh’s chase got off to a poor start as they fell to 21/2, but a 93-run stand between Saif Hasan (57) and Liton Das (46) revived hopes. But O’Rourke’s breakaway removed Saif, triggering a collapse in the crucial stages.A brief period of resistance ensued as Towhid Hridoy and Afif Hossain pieced together a 52-run stand, but left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox broke up the partnership, leaving Bangladesh with too much to do in the final overs.Tickner had a shaky start but came back to create a match-winner, taking four wickets in his final over to clear the tail. Smith also played a crucial role early on, taking two consecutive deliveries and finishing with three wickets.Ultimately, New Zealand’s stellar performance with bat and ball ensured a strong start to the series, while Bangladesh still have a lot to iron out before the must-win second ODI match.
