New Zealand 247 for 8 (Nicholls 68, Foxcroft 59, Shoriful 2-27) beat Bangladesh 221 (Saif 57, Hridoy 55, Tickner 4-40, Smith 3-4) by 26 runs

Tickner mixed his pace very well, often hitting the deck, and used the slower balls and cutters quite well. He removed Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who attempted a cheeky shot to be caught behind, before sending back Rishad Hossain and Shoriful Islam in successive balls in the 46th over. Tickner also had Taskin Ahmed chop on in his next over before Nathan Smith finished things off with nine balls to spare.

Smith had also struck early, with the wickets of Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto in successive balls at the start of the fourth over.

Dean Foxcroft had a great outing with the bat as New Zealand reached a competitive 247 for 8 in 50 overs. Henry Nicholls and Foxcroft struck half-centuries to keep the tourists in touching distance of a good total. Shoriful, playing his first ODI in 16 months, was economical and effective in his 2 for 27 in 10 overs, while Rishad and Taskin took two wickets each. Their batters, however, squandered the position their bowlers had put them in.

Bangladesh would have been in a worse position early on because Saif got a life in the second over on 1 when Nicholls dropped a simple chance at slip, similar to how Saif himself had dropped Will Young, who was also on 1, also at slip. Smith was the unlucky bowler but that changed in his next over.

Tanzid missed a straight delivery that was targeted on his stumps, with his unnecessary hoick in the fourth over of a chase. Smith burst through Shanto next ball comprehensively. Saif lifted Bangladesh’s spirits with a whack over long-on, which turned out to be the first six of the match.

After a bit more consolidation, Saif struck Josh Clarkson for three fours in the 19th over. Saif, however, fell shortly afterwards, having reached his second ODI fifty. It was a tired shot, as he couldn’t time another intended blow over mid-on, falling for 57 off 76 balls which had eight fours and a six.

Litton, who was playing more of a supportive role at the other end with Saif, struck three fours in 67 balls, before Foxcroft got him with a classic offbreak that spun through his bat and pad. It is the third ODI innings in a row that Litton got out in the forties, his 46 following 41 and 41 against Pakistan last month.

Bangladesh’s required rate was less than five an over at that stage, but Afif and Hridoy adopted a wait-and-watch approach. Hridoy struck a four in the 24th over, but their next one would come 15 overs later when he edged Will O’Rourke in the 39th over. Afif, who waddled around for 49 balls for his 27, launched Jayden Lennox straight into long-on’s hands in the 41st over. After that over, Bangladesh’s required rate rose to 7.11 per over.

Mehidy then perished trying to play the reverse lap against Tickner, with captain Tom Latham taking a superb catch. It was some revenge for the visiting captain, who was undone by Mehidy in the New Zealand innings. Tickner then had Rishad caught and bowled superbly, a difficult chance which was struck towards his right. Next ball, he clean bowled Shoriful.

New Zealand’s total was set up initially by Nicholls’ 68, furnished with nine boundaries, which helped them pick up pace after a slow start. Nicholls worked the ball well through the gaps and timed the ball well throughout his 83-ball stay. He was particularly strong against the spinners Mehidy and Rishad, and also handling the pace bowlers strongly.

Nicholls is among the few New Zealand players on this tour who has played in Bangladesh before. It showed in his patience and footwork, as he looked the most comfortable of the New Zealand top-order batters.

Nicholls added 73 runs for the second wicket with Young, who scored 30. Once Young was caught at slip, Latham and Muhammad Abbas fell for 14 each, before Foxcroft, who had scored a duck in his only ODI before this – incidentally in Dhaka in 2023, took New Zealand past the 200 mark.

Foxcroft was forceful through the on side, showing a bit of grace with his flicks through midwicket. He struck eight boundaries in all, the last two coming in consecutive balls before he inside-edged Nahid Rana on to his stumps in the 47th over. New Zealand, however, couldn’t force through in the last five overs, as they finished the innings without hitting a six in their 50 overs.