The Black Caps have beaten Bangladesh by six wickets in the first T20 international in Napier.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson in his T20i beige for today's match. Photo: Photosport
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson top-scored with an unbeaten 73 off 55 deliveries, his highest T20i score, as the home team reached the winning target of 142 with two overs to spare.
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first at McClean Park, posting a score of 141 for 8 before the Black Caps finished on 143 for 4.
Look back at commentary of the game here.
Mahmadullah top-scored for the tourists with 52 off 47 while Lockie Ferguson was the best of the Black Caps bowlers, taking three wickets for 32 runs.
New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson and Luke Ronchi celebrate a wicket. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme also stood out with the bat for New Zealand, smashing 41 off 22 balls including three fours and three sixes.
The big right-hander ushered in the victory with Williamson after only four of the Black Caps lost their wickets.
Neil Broom was unfortunate to be dismissed for six in the third over when he was caught on the boundary by Shakib Al Hasan.
Shakib took the ball just inside the rope, lobbed it back infield to himself a touch too far and had to dive to take the catch.
Shakib Al Hasan takes a diving catch to dismiss Neil Broom. Photo: Photosport
Colin Munro went for a two ball duck in the next over, caught behind when he fended at a good length ball from Mustafizur Rahman.
Corey Anderson (13) played an ugly shot to be caught out at long-off in the seventh over before the debutant Tom Bruce (7) was run out by his skipper in the 11th.
Bangladesh, in contrast, lost wickets with alarming regularity.
The first man out was Imrul Kayes, who played the wrong shot to a shorter ball from Matt Henry and was caught behind in the second over without scoring.
Tamim Iqbal (11) was caught on the boundary by Bruce in the fifth over after mis-timing a slog off the bowling of Ben Wheeler.
Ferguson took the third wicket in the sixth over when Sabbir Rahman (16) lobbed a waist-high full toss to Henry at mid-on.
Mahmudulla plays a shot. Photo: Photosport
Soumya Sarkar was out for a golden duck the very next ball from Ferguson after knocking a simple catch to Anderson in the gully.
Shakib Al Hasan (14) was easily caught by Mitchell Santner from the bowling of de Grandhomme in the eleventh over, before Santner had Mosaddek Hossain Saikat (20) caught by Anderson in the thirteenth.
Wheeler took his second wicket in the 18th over when de Grandhomme caught the captain Mashrafe Mortaza out for one.
Bangladesh's top scorer Mahmadullah was bowled for 52 in the final over, deceived by a slow yorker from Ferguson.
The two teams meet in the second match of the three-game series in Mount Maunganui on Friday.
- RNZ
