New Zealand Cricket XI v Bangladeshis, Twenty20, Hamiltion

Bangladeshis pick up first tour win

Cricinfo staff

December 23, 2007

Bangladeshis 134 for 6 (Reza 31) beat New Zealand Cricket XI 133 for 7 (Marshall 33*, Styris 29, Shahadat Hossain 3-15) by 4 wickets
Scorecard

Farhad Reza scored a quickfire 31 to help the Bangladeshis secure a four-wicket win © Getty Images

Bangladesh defeated a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) XI by four wickets in a day-night Twenty20 game in Hamilton to pick up their first win of the tour. After the Bangladeshi bowlers had restricted NZC XI to a modest 133, Farhad Reza's 17-ball 31 propelled the visitors to a win with three overs to spare.

Sent in, NZC XI had a slow start reaching 19 for 2 in 5.3 overs. They were propped up by James Marshall and Scott Styris who added 39 for the fifth wicket. Marshall top scored with an unbeaten 33, which included one six and a four. For the Bangladeshis, opening bowler Shahadat Hossain took 3 for 15 off his four overs.

The visitors' chase began poorly with the openers falling cheaply but the next five batsmen contributed with scores over 20 to ensure victory. Three run-outs had threatened to derail the Bangladeshis' reply, but Reza and Mehrab Hossain jnr added 47 for the sixth wicket to ease their side's concerns. Michael Mason was the most effective NZC XI bowler, conceding only 21 runs off his four overs.

After having lost two of their three previous games of the tour - with one match abandoned, the Bangladeshis will take some confidence from this win, which comes ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday.

The game was a charity match to help raise funds for people affected by Cyclone Sidr, which ripped through Bangladesh in November and killed more than 3000 people. The ICC also donated US$250,000 to the Bangladesh Relief Fund at the start of the match.

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