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Black Caps cruise to ODI series win over Bangladesh

December 20, 2023

Despite some heroics from opener Soumya Sarkar in the first innings, the Black Caps chased down the target of 292 with ease in Nelson to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. (Source: 1News)

Henry Nicholls made 95 and Will Young 89, trumping Soumya Sarkar's career-best 169 and leading New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the second ODI.

New Zealand holds a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series which ends Saturday in Napier.

Nicholls returned to form but fell just short of his second ODI century while Young narrowly missed his second straight ODI century as New Zealand made 296-3 in reply to Bangladesh's 291. Young made 105 as New Zealand won the rain-affected first match of the series by 44 runs.

Young put on 76 for the first wicket with Rachin Ravindra who made 45 from 33 balls after making a first-ball duck in the first match on Sunday.

Young then added 128, effectively in a match-winning partnership, for the second wicket with Nicholls who also bounced back after a second-ball duck in the opening ODI.

Henry Nicholls in action against Bangladesh during the second ODI in Nelson.

New Zealand was 204-2 in the 33rd over when Young was out, having made his 89 runs from 94 balls with eight fours and two sixes. It was 260-3 when Nicholls fell in the 41st over, close to scoring another ODI hundred on Saxton Oval, the ground on which he scored his first in 2019.

Tom Latham and Tom Blundell saw New Zealand home with 22 balls to spare, Blundell finishing the chase with a six in the 47th over.

Earlier, New Zealand sent Bangladesh in to bat after winning the toss on a pitch at Saxton Oval that typically produces high-scoring matches: the average score in an ODI innings at the ground is 280.

Bangladesh looked as though they might have been an outlier early in their innings though as they struggled to generate momentum against tight Kiwi bowling which saw the first four wickets fall for 80 runs in just over 20 overs.

But Sarkar persevered on the slow Saxton pitch, patiently ticking over the scoreboard while earning a reprieve when he was on 92, serving up a catch to Will Young at point which, unlike his acrobatics from the first match, he couldn't reel in.

Sarkar reached his century soon after and then celebrated by punishing the Black Caps bowlers, rocketing from 100 to 150 in only 28 balls with seven fours and a six.

Soumya Sarkar walks off out for 169 runs during the Second One Day International.

But having lost keeper Mushfiqur Rahim for 45, Bangladesh's tail was exposed and while their opener continued to pummel the ball around the park, the Black Caps took revenge with wickets at the other end.

With Adi Ashok earning his first wicket in ODIs, Bangladesh were 232/6 and the pressure continued to mount on Sarkar to push his side's total to a defendable target.

In the end, the Black Caps got their man in anticlimactic fashion as Sarkar was dismissed tamely for 169 with the first ball of the final over.

Having nabbed Sarkar, Will O'Rourke then gave his side some momentum heading into the chase as he picked up the final two wickets moments later, leaving Bangladesh all out for 291 with a ball to spare.

Sarkar’s score was the second-highest by a Bangladesh batsman in ODIs behind Litton Das’ 174 against Zimbabwe and the second highest by a visiting batsman in an ODI in New Zealand.

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