New Zealand tore through Bangladesh in the Super 10 stage of the T20 World Cup, setting a solid total of 145 but then bowling out their opponents for just 70 runs in less than sixteen overs.
Final score
New Zealand 8/145
Bangladesh 70
New Zealand will look to end the league stages of the 2016 World T20 with a perfect record when they take on Bangladesh in their final game before the knock-outs on Saturday at Kolkata. You can follow the live scores of this match on The Roar from 3pm local time (8.30 pm AEDT).
Having sealed their passage through to the ICC World T20 2016 semi-finals, New Zealand will close their Super 10 campaign with an encounter against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
It is an inconsequential game and shall have no bearing on the tournament, but New Zealand would want to close with a win ahead of the semis. On the other hand, Bangladesh are coming off an emotionally-draining defeat to India. Bouncing back after that, against a strong New Zealand side, would be a tough ask.
It will be interesting to see how New Zealand work their combination. Against India, they fielded three specialist spinners before Mitchell McClenaghan came in. The Eden Gardens pitch did assist the spinners.
Whether New Zealand makes a change remains to be seen. Would they want to tinker with the combination ahead of the knockouts? The most interesting aspect of their campaign has been the fact that they have benched Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who were pillars of their success in the 2015 World Cup.
Bangladesh would be eyeing that consolation victory after letting one slip against India. This tournament saw them lose Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny — something that also took its toll on the side.
And yet, they managed to give India a scare and restrict them to a good score. Bangladesh may have emphasised on pace in recent times, but Shakib Al Hasan’s left arm spin may be crucial for this game. He is no stranger to Eden Gardens, having been a regular at the Kolkata Knight Riders.
In the past, Bangladesh have put New Zealand under pressure in similar conditions at home. New Zealand were somehow unable to find the formula to outdo Bangladesh in those conditions.
However, this is a different unit, with form behind it and with Brendon McCullum’s palpable influence shaping it into a champion side. Bangladesh aren’t going to find it easy and may have to return winless in the Super 10s.
A defeat for New Zealand might not mean too much but they won’t want to enter the knock-outs with that loss hanging over their shoulders and might not want to rest any of their key players for this one.
For Bangladesh, this could be a good chance to get their combinations right for the future and try out a few new players.
You can follow the live scores of this match on The Roar from 3pm local time (8.30 pm AEDT).
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