DHAKA: Ish Sodhi became the first New Zealand spinner to claim six wickets in a One-day International, guiding the Black Caps to an 86-run victory in the second match of their three-match series in Bangladesh.

Sodhi contributed a crucial 35 with the bat as well to go with his career-best 6-39 as New Zealand registered their first victory in Bangladesh since 2008 on Saturday.

After the first match had been washed out, the Kiwis took the chance to get into winning ways with the World Cup looming.

In the 46th over, pace bowler Hasan Mahmud ran Sodhi out as he was backing up at the non-striker’s end when on 17, but Bangladesh captain Liton Das called him back.

Sodhi, who went on to help the side post 254 in 49.2 overs, then ran through Bangladesh’s top order in a superb display of leg-spin.

Wicket-keeper Tom Blundell made a team-high 68 off 66 balls, with six fours and one six, and Henry Nicholls scored 49. They put on a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket to set the platform.

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman had reduced New Zealand to 2-26 after the visitors opted to bat first. He removed Will Young, who made 58 in the first match, for a duck and then claimed the wicket of Finn Allen for 12.

Debutant Syed Khaled Ahmed (3-60), got into the act with the wicket of Chad Bowes for 14, as New Zealand slumped to 3-36 before Nicholls and Blundell got them back on track.

Sodhi propelled the side past 250, hitting three sixes in his knock before being the last batter out.

With Tanzid Hasan finding the boundaries with ease, Bangladesh appeared to be the clear favourites until Sodhi sparked the collapse, doing most to reduce them to 92-5 from 60-1 in just eight overs.

He started with the wicket of Tanzid (16) and then got the key scalp of Tamim Iqbal, who was out for 44 when trying to sweep against a googly.

Sodhi also removed Soumya Sarkar, who played his first match in two years, for a duck and Towhid Hridoy for four.

Mahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan resi­sted, sharing a 42-run stand before Sodhi knocked out the latter for his maiden five-for. Offspinner Cole McCo­nchie had Mahmu­dullah caught by Finn Allen at short fine leg after he made a team-best 49.

Nasum Ahmed scored 21 but that only reduced the margin of the defeat as the teams head for the third and final ODI on Tuesday.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND:

F. Allen c Sarkar b Mustafizur 12

W. Young c Liton b Mustafizur 0

C. Bowes c Towhid b Khaled 14

H. Nicholls c Liton b Khaled 49

T. Blundell b Hasan 68

R. Ravindra lbw Mahedi 10

C. McConchie lbw Nasum 20

I. Sodhi c Liton b Khaled 35

K. Jamieson c&b Mahedi 20

L. Ferguson st Liton b Mahedi 13

T. Boult not out 1

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, NB-1, W-5) 12

TOTAL (all out, 49.2 overs) 254

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15 (Young), 2-26 (Allen), 3-36 (Bowes), 4-131 (Nicholls), 5-157 (Ravindra), 6-166 (Blundell), 7-187 (McConchie), 8-219 (Jamieson), 9-240 (Ferguson)

BOWLING: Mustafizur 10-1-53-2; Hasan 10-1-46-1 (5w, 1nb); Khaled 9.2-1-60-3; Mahedi 10-0-45-3; Nasum 10-0-44-1

BANGLADESH:

Tamim Iqbal c Blundell b Sodhi 44

Liton Das c Ravindra b Jamieson 6

Tanzid Hasan c Ferguson b Sodhi 16

Soumya Sarkar c&b Sodhi 0

Towhid Hridoy b Sodhi 4

Mahmudullah c Allen b McConchie 49

Mahedi Hasan b Sodhi 17

Nasum Ahmed c Boult b Jamieson 21

Hasan Mahmud b Sodhi 0

Mustafizur Rahman not out 2

Khaled Ahmed b Ferguson 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, NB-1, W-4) 8

TOTAL (all out, 41.1 overs) 168

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-19 (Liton), 2-60 (Tanzid), 3-60 (Sarkar), 4-70 (Towhid), 5-92 (Tamim), 6-134 (Mahedi), 7-149 (Mahmudullah), 8-153 (Hasan), 9-167 (Nasum)

BOWLING: Boult 8-0-37-0 (1w); Jamieson 7-1-32-2 (3w); Sodhi 10-1-39-6; Ferguson 6.1-1-28-1 (1nb); Ravindra 8-0-26-0; McConchie 2-1-3-1

RESULT: New Zealand won by 86 runs.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ish Sodhi

SERIES: New Zealand lead three-match series 1-0.

Published in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023