Jones leads Auckland to victory over Bangladeshis

Auckland 243 for 3 (Jones 85*, Guptill 59) beat Bangladeshis 242 (Tamim 104) by seven wickets
Scorecard

Led by captain Richard Jones' brisk unbeaten 85, Auckland made light of a target of 243 in 50 overs and handed the Bangladeshis their second defeat in as many completed matches on their tour of New Zealand so far. The visitors opted to bat but bar Tamim Iqbal's 104, the first hundred of the trip, there were few contributions to speak of and even more worryingly, the Bangladeshi bowlers managed just three Auckland wickets ahead of a full ODI and Test series.

Paul Hitchcock, who earlier picked up 2 for 48, scored 35 in an opening stand of 81 with Martin Guptill to set the base for Auckland. After his departure, caught by Ferhad Reza off Nazmul Hossain, 21-year-old Guptill fell for 59 from 61 balls. Jones and Colin de Grandhomme (34) finished the match with ease, adding an unbroken partnership of 97. Jones hit eight fours and a six to finish on 85, and denied the Bangladeshis any entrance into the middle order. The target was overhauled with 24 deliveries to spare.

With the bat, the Bangladeshis got starts but collapsed dramatically. Tamim stood firm, adding 86 for the second wicket with Aftab Ahmed (29), and 55 with captain Mohammad Ashraful (27). However, a complete mess down the order - the last seven wickets fell for 58 - saw Bangladesh bowled out in 48.5 overs. Tamim hit four sixes and ten fours in his 122-ball effort, but was the fourth batsman to fall, at 184 in the 35th over.

Greg Moran, the rookie 21-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler, took 3 for 33 off eight overs, Andy McKay and Roneel Hira two each, and there was a wicket for Daryl Tuffey in his first match for Auckland this season.

Bangladesh's tour continues with a Twenty20 match against a New Zealand Cricket XI in a World Vision Cyclone Relief match in Hamilton on Sunday.