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New Zealand might have wrapped up their One Day International series against Bangladesh but the danger won’t be over as the teams head to Saxton Park for the dead rubber. Join The Roar for live scores of the third ODI from 9am (AEDT).
New Zealand might have built an unassailable series lead across the first two matches, but there is still plenty of this tour to go for Bangladesh and they will be looking to turn things around right here.
If they are to get back on the right foot, then a lot of it is going to come down to their middle order stepping up and playing their role.
After conceding too many runs in the first game to be a legitimate chance of victory, their bowlers stepped it up on Thursday, limiting the hosts to 251.
Despite Neil Broom scoring a century for the Black Caps batting at no. 4, there was a regular flow of wickets with Mashrafe Mortaza, who is the key for the Tigers bowling attack, and they managed to be chasing a very gettable total.
It was even more so the case after Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman guiding Bangladesh to 100 for the loss of just a single wicket.
Kayes scored a half century, but the middle order completely crashed for the Tigers as they were knocked over for just 184, wicket keeper Nurul Hasan and Mortaza the only others making double figures.
Prediction
New Zealand have been entirely dominant in the series so far, but they showed some cracks at the start of their bowling innings in the second match.
Whether they have been fixed or not, the Bangladesh middle order is a lot stronger than what it showed last time out, and indeed back in the first match at Christchurch.
For them to hit back and win a dead rubber wouldn’t be the biggest surprise, and if they can reduce the score they are chasing by taking early wickets and not letting up, it would be doable.
However, the Kiwis are still preparing for their upcoming visit by South Africa, something players will be keen to hang onto spots for and so a victory on the back of some big individual performances should be the way it will go in Nelson.
New Zealand in a close one.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of the third and final ODI between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Nelson from 9am (AEDT) and don’t forget to add your own comments in the section below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde