Foxcroft, Tickner star as New Zealand pull off stunning win

On a slow, low surface at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, New Zealand's pacers combined for eight of the ten Bangladeshi wickets to fall, orchestrating a thrilling 26-run win in the first ODI.

New Zealand got off to a slow start upon electing to bat. Nick Kelly endured a laborious 23-ball stay before being cleaned up by Shoriful Islam. The visitors mustered just 29 in the first nine overs before Will Young and Henry Nicholls stabilized the innings with a 73-run stand, ended by Rishad Hossain who dismissed Young for 30.

Bangladesh kept chipping away at regular intervals. Skipper Tom Latham couldn't contribute much even as Nicholls raised a fifty, eventually falling for 68 to Rishad. Dean Foxcroft, who bagged a golden duck at this venue on ODI debut in 2023, pushed the initiative forward in his second ODI, notching up a brisk half-century that took New Zealand well past 200.

Post his dismissal in the 47th over, New Zealand failed to score a single boundary, finishing on 247/8. Shoriful Islam emerged as the pick of the bowlers with 2/27 in an impeccable 10-over spell.

In response, Saif Hassan received a lifeline as Nicholls dropped a sitter at slip in the second over. But Nathan Smith picked up wickets off consecutive deliveries, castling Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Najmul Hossain Shanto to leave Bangladesh in trouble. Saif began positively, and alongside the experienced Litton Das, Bangladesh rode on a 93-run partnership to set a platform for the chase.

Both set batters were dismissed within five overs, with Saif falling for 57 and Foxcroft removing Das for 46. A 52-run fifth-wicket stand between Towhid Hridoy (55 off 60) and Afif Hossain (27 off 49) put Bangladesh in pole position again.

However, the chase went haywire in the death overs as Bangladesh crashed from 184/4 to 214/9. Jayden Lennox removed Afif, and seamer Blair Tickner (4 for 40) ripped into the lower-order as a famed batting collapse ensued. With 33 runs needed off the last two overs, Hridoy reached his half-century with a six before Nicholls completed a stunning catch at deep mid-wicket to seal a thrilling win for New Zealand, who took a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 247/8 in 50 overs (Henry Nicholls 68, Dean Foxcroft 59; Shoriful Islam 2-27, Rishad Hossain 2-44) beat Bangladesh 221 in 48.3 overs (Saif Hassan 57, Towhid Hridoy 55; Blair Tickner 4-40, Nathan Smith 3-45) by 26 runs.