RESULT
3rd Match, Dublin, May 17, 2017, Ireland Tri-Nation Series
(47.3/50 ov, T:258) 258/6

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 15 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
52 (48) & 2/68
james-neesham
Report

Bennett, Neesham lead New Zealand's canter

New Zealand, in familiar conditions overhead and underfoot, cruised past Bangladesh by four wickets in Clontarf to stay unbeaten in the tri-series

New Zealand 258 for 6 (Latham 54, Neesham 52, Broom 48) beat Bangladesh 257 for 9 (Soumya 61, Mushfiqur 55, Mahmudullah 51, Bennett 3-31) by four wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A harrying spell of pace-bowling from Hamish Bennett, playing his first ODI since January 2014, and fifties from James Neesham and Tom Latham led New Zealand's drubbing over Bangladesh in the third game of the tri-series, in Clontarf, the venue's first game between two Full Member nations. New Zealand utilised conditions they are well accustomed to, and executed substantially better than Bangladesh to stay unbeaten in the tri-series. Bangladesh, meanwhile, continue their elusive chase for a win over New Zealand away from home, or at a neutral venue.
Latham set up New Zealand's chase of 258 with a steady half-century, but it was an 80-run, fifth-wicket partnership between Neesham and Neil Broom that turned the game decisively. Bangladesh had clawed their way back, after Ross Taylor's wicket in the 31st over had left New Zealand at 147 for 4. But Broom laid down anchor and Neesham counter-attacked, displaying their natural batting tendencies.
At no point in the innings did the asking rate creep over 6.15: their toughest equation was 91 off 89 balls with six wickets in hand. Such was New Zealand's control over the chase. With Neesham in fine hitting form - he hit a boundary in each over between overs 34 and 39 - Broom accumulated 48 off 64 before he missed a full, straight ball. By then, however, New Zealand were cruising.
The pitch, a comparatively barren surface compared to the tournament opener in Malahide, may have lost some of the zing of the morning, and gradually eased out for batting as the day progressed. Spin, Bangladesh's most productive asset, didn't perform. Mashrafe Mortaza leaked runs. Bangladesh's bowling attack was cut to just two weapons, Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain. Both bowlers, incisive and accurate, took two wickets apiece, but New Zealand were effective in negating Bangladesh's penetration.
The day began in ideal pace-bowling conditions - a quick surface and overcast morning conditions. Seth Rance and Bennett started by angling the ball away from Bangladesh's left-handed openers. A wide mid-off was an indicator that it was New Zealand's plan all along. Rance generate appreciable lateral movement, but Bennett's whippy action and pace continually hustled Bangladesh's openers. Both Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar were rushed into their pulls and cuts, many false strokes even plonked into gaps.
Yet, both batsmen displayed admirable discipline to pick their areas and shots. Soumya went through the off-side infield repeatedly but also intentionally lofted Rance's occasional wayward line over the fielders.
After Tamim found sweeper cover off Neesham in the 16th over, Sabbir Rahman was undone by Mitchell Santner's left-arm spin eight balls later. Those wickets allowed New Zealand an opportunity to pile on the pressure. In a 10-over period, between overs 18 and 27, New Zealand bowled 33 dot balls.
Bangladesh's batsmen struggled against Ish Sodhi's legspin, in particular. Soumya didn't account for the extra revolutions, and therefore extra bounce, that a legspinner imparts as his sweep found midwicket for 61. Shakib Al Hasan, struggling for fluency, clipped one to mid-off.
Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur then not only limited the damage but also added 59 valuable runs for the fifth wicket. Mushfiqur had eased to his fifty when, in an attempt to guide a length delivery to third man, he found an edge that was snaffled up by Ronchi.
In their recent ODI series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh had laid emphasis on holding wickets in hand for the end overs but that didn't quite go to plan against New Zealand as they lost their top half by the 38th over. Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain, therefore, were left with little choice but to collect whatever they could. Thirteen runs were scored off four overs after Mushfiqur's dismissal, the 41st over was a maiden.
Mahmudullah, it seemed, lost his timing as his innings progressed and eventually fell to a stunning catch at short fine leg from Rance in the 48th over. Mosaddek, in between, provided some impetus to Bangladesh's slog overs with four fours in the space of eight balls.
Bennett collected two more wickets in the final over, using a hard length and his pace to get past Bangladesh's lower order. The last four overs yielded just 23 runs, leaving Bangladesh well short of a total that could have challenged New Zealand.

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TEAMMWLPTNRR
NZ431121.240
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IRE4032-2.589