New Zealand defeats Bangladesh, confirms semifinal berth from Group A
New Zealand defeated Bangladesh in the sixth match of the ICC Champions Trophy, held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. With this victory, both Pakistan and Bangladesh have been eliminated from the Champions Trophy. This means that New Zealand and India have advanced to the semifinals from Group A.
The Tigers batted first and managed just 236/9 in 50 overs. Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 77 off 110 balls. Jaker Ali was the only other batter with over 30 runs. He scored 45 runs on 55 balls. Michael Bracewell of New Zealand took 4/26 from his four overs. Will O’Rourke took two scalps.
Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana helped Bangladesh get off to a strong start by defending a target of only 237. Taskin removed Will Young in the first over for a wicket-maiden, while Rana took the crucial wicket of Kane Williamson two overs later. Rachin Ravindra has subsequently stabilised the ship, first with a solid stand against Devon Conway and then with Tom Latham. Ravindra has passed the half-century mark.
Bangladesh has been held to a score of 236/9 by New Zealand, and the Kiwis must chase down a goal of 237 to qualify for the Champions Trophy semi-finals. Despite the fact that the surface at Rawalpindi appeared to be ideal for batting, Bangladesh were unable to gain momentum in their innings. New Zealand, on the other hand, was on point throughout and didn’t let anything go on the field.
Michael Bracewell bowled ten overs in a row on a ground that does nothing for bowlers, finishing with statistics of 4/26. He is the first New Zealand spinner to capture four wickets in the Champions Trophy since 2000. Mahmudullah was his fourth wicket, while Mushfiqur Rahim his third. They were Bangladesh’s most seasoned hitters, but they essentially threw their wickets away. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, meanwhile, has remained at the opposite end and struck a half-century.
Rachin Ravindra’s 112 off 105 balls made the difference. Tom Latham scored 55 runs from 76 balls. Glenn Phillips was unbeaten on 21 off 28 balls as the Kiwis scored 240/5 in 46.1 overs. New Zealand will next face India on March 2 in a match that will determine the Group A leaders.
Mitchell Santner: “Feels nice to qualify. Knew Bangladesh would be a challenge. The way we pulled things back with the ball was amazing. Hard to take middle-overs wickets in ODIs and Bracewell was amazing. He’s a quality bowler now, the way he can change his pace on these wickets is outstanding. Bowls a lot to right-handers too. It was more two paced than I thought. It feels like a little bit of dew but not a lot. He’s doing Rachin things I guess. He loves ICC events. Looks like he never left the game. He wasn’t as fluid as he’d have liked but when he gets going he’s tough to stop. His partnerships were good too. It will be a different challenge on a different surface. Might be slower.”
Najmul Hossain Shanto: “I thought we started well with the bat but we lost wickets in the middle. On this pitch we didn’t bat well. (Middle order dismissals) It’s a pretty good wicket. we just needed two big partnerships. It was disappointing after the ten-over performance. We should’ve carried on. He is brilliant, the way he bowled he has made us happy. Last few years our bowling unit has done a great job but our batters need to step up. It’s an important game. It will be a confidence booster.”
Michael Bracewell is the Player of the Match: “Awesome to contribute to a win. Main focus today was to win and get the semi-final spot. Just keeping the stumps in play. If you give width, guys can score freely. The breeze across was like the conditions at home. Our side is pretty well balanced. I’m geared up to bowl ten overs every game even at Eden Park, but sometimes you don’t. I was hoping not to get the pad on to bat but it’s always nice to go out there and finish the game. Rachin just goes from strength to strength in ICC events and that’s good to see.”
Match Facts
– Pakistan was knocked out by New Zealand, who won by five wickets to join India in the semifinals. Bangladesh was also eliminated
– Rachin Ravindra scored his fourth ODI century from 95 balls.
– Rachin Ravindra scored 51 in 51 balls.
– Bangladesh scored 236/9 after 50 overs.
– Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 77 off 110 balls.
– Michael Bracewell completed his 10 overs with figures of 4/26.
– Michael Bracewell took the first wicket for New Zealand against Tanzid Hasan.
– New Zealand have welcomed back Rachin Ravindra and Kyle Jamieson, who will play his first international in almost a year.
