Tigers eye another Bay Oval success

The Bay Oval at the city of Mount Maunganui had cemented a special place in Bangladesh cricket history for having staged the Tigers' maiden Test victory over New Zealand at the beginning of last year.

Fast forward to almost two years since that momentous triumph, the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led Bangladesh T20 team has an opportunity to achieve another milestone – a series victory in New Zealand in any format -- at the same venue, which stages today's fixture and also the third and final match of the series on Sunday.

Today's match, scheduled to begin at 12:10 pm (Bangladesh time), will be televised by Green TV and Nagorik TV.

Bangladesh are leading the series 1-0 after a five-wicket win in Napier in the first match on Wednesday saw the visitors end their nine-match losing streak in T20s in New Zealand, registering a win over the Black Caps in New Zealand in all formats.

Earlier in the tour, they thrashed the hosts by nine wickets in the third and final ODI of the series in Napier on December 23, snapping a winless rut over the same opponents at their den in the 19th attempt this time. The bowlers set up both wins for Bangladesh, dismissing the hosts for a paltry 98 in that ODI before restricting them to 134 for nine in the T20I.

Now the new-look Bangladesh team -- missing regular skipper Shakib Al Hasan, experienced opener Tamim Iqbal and pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed -- have an opportunity to accomplish something unprecedented and add some joy to what has been a dull year in the country's men's cricket.