Tigers fold for lowest T20I total

New Zealand gave Bangladesh a 75-run thrashing and dismissed them for their lowest T20I total in the Super Ten match of ICC WT20 2016 at Kolkata, India under the lights.

Bangladesh were all out for 70 inside 16 overs. Shuvagata Hom was the highest scorer with 16 while Mithin made 11 and Sabbir 12, the only batters to reach double-digits.

New Zealand were ruthlessly efficient with the ball, and struck at regular intervals to derail Tigers' innings.

Elliott took three for 12 from four while Sodhi grabbed three for 21 from 3.4 overs. McCullum, Santner and McClenaghan took a wicket each.

Al Amin was the last wicket to fall for Bangladesh inside 16 overs.

New Zealand finished off Bangladesh in the 15th over when Elliott took two wickets to finish with three for 12 from four.

Mustafizur was caught behind for three runs from five balls. Mashrafe was the eighth Bangladeshi wicket to fall on a miserable night at Kolkata.

Bangladesh lost the big wicket of Mahmudullah after the break in play. Sodhi bowled Tigers batter with a googly, the ninth batter to be bowled today. Mahmudullah fell for five in the 12th over.

Mushfiqur Rahim became the sixth Bangladesh wicket to fall chasing New Zealand’s smallish total on a difficult pitch at Kolkata.

Elliott got a jaffer to bamboozle Mushy, and disturb the batsman’s furniture. Mushfiqur was dismissed for a two-ball duck.

New Zealand calling all the shots after the half-way mark.

Kiwi leggie Sodhi rattled Bangladesh in the tenth over when a superb piece of wicketkeeping from Ronchi sent back Soumya for six runs.

Ronchi's whipped off the bails with Soumya's back foot outside the crease. Soumya lunged forward, down on one knee and tried to sweep, Sodhi ripped the legbreak past him and the  keeper did the rest.

Tigers stumble and lose their way…

Bangladesh were rocked in the 8th over, as Kiwi spinner Santner sent back Tigers allrounder Shakib Al Hasan for only two runs.

Shakib flat-batted his stroke, couldn’t time as well as would have liked and failed to clear the fielder in the deep.

Santner strikes, Tigers stumble…

Kiwi allrounder McClenaghan gave his team a good reason to celebrate when he struck in his first over and sent back Mohammad Mithun.

Mithun moved outside leg, tried to slog, missed the slower ball from McClenaghan and was bowled for 11. He faced 17 balls but didn’t look comfortable at the crease.

New Zealand got their first breakthrough in the second over of Bangladesh’s chase.

Tamim hesitated after Mithun dabbed the ball gently towards short third man because Munro had covered the ground to his right fairly quickly.  

They went for it though and all Munro had to do was pick up cleanly, take aim, and throw the stumps down at the keeper's end. Easily done. Clinical! Tamim falls for three runs.

Earlier, Bangladesh kept New Zealand down to 145 for 8 thanks to the maiden five-for Mustafizur Rahman in T20Is during the Super Ten clash of ICC WT20 2016 at Kolkata, India.

Bangladesh bowlers stuck to their plans and managed to strike at regular intervals to hurt New Zealand. The highest partnership for Kiwis was 42.

For Bangladesh, Mustafizur was the star performer. He took five wickets for only 22 runs in four overs, the second best T20I figures in an innings after Elias Sunny’s five for 13 against Ireland in 2012.

Al Amin took wickets while Mashrafe picked up one.

Kiwi skipper Williamson was the highest run getter for his side today with 42. Munro made 35, Taylor 28, the only ones to reach double-digits in this game.

Mustafizur picked up his fourth and fifth wicket in the last over, and gave his side the morale boost to chase down New Zealand’s below par total.

Al Amin returned in the 19th over and sent back Ross Taylor with a fortuitous full toss. Taylor didn’t hit it properly, and was well taken by Mithun in the deep.

Kiwi batter made 28 from 24 with two fours and a six in his innings.

Tigers skipper Mashrafe took the fourth Kiwi to fall when his slower ball sent back Corey Anderson for a three-ball duck.

Anderson read it wrong, tried to smash it too early and got a thick inside edge on to his stumps. This pitch is not easy to play shots on, not at all easy

Bangladesh bowler Al Amin gave his side their third wicket in the 15th over and dented Kiwis dreams of a decent total.

Munro was bowled after a useful knock of 35. The Kiwi batter faced 33 balls and struck a four and two sixes during his stay at the crease.

New Zealand looked settled with their third wicket partnership, and both the batsmen were rotating the strike regularly.

New Zeland lost their second wicket in the ninth over, and it was the Mustafizur magic that did the trick for Tigers.

The 32-run stand for the second wicket was broken by the left arm bowling sensation from Bangladesh as Kiwi skipper exposed his stumps, missed the ball and was duly sent back after a breezy knock.

Williamson scored 42 from 32 balls with five fours and a six to his name.

Bangladesh got their first breakthrough in the fourth over when Mustafizur’s cutter proved to be too good for Kiwi batter Nicholls.

A lovely, slower cutter, pitched on a good length outside off, drew Nicholls into the front foot cover drive, and then laughed its way through the gap between bat and pad to knock over the off stump.

The Fizz has struck, and like he usually does. Nicholls was clean bowled for seven runs after he played 11 balls.

New Zealand skipper Williamson decided to bat first after winning the toss given the conditions at Kolkata against Bangladesh led by Mashrafe Mortaza in the Super Ten match of ICC WT20 2016 in India.

The Black Caps are the only team to have qualified for the semi-final so far and they will be keen to extend their dominance in the tournament and end the group stage unbeaten, while Mashrafe Mortaza's side will be hoping to end their campaign with a consolation win.

Bangladesh's bowling, apart from the match against Pakistan, has been on the mark despite the absence of Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny (both suspended due to illegal bowling actions).

Poor fielding and failing to come out on top in crucial moments have been the main reasons for Bangladesh failing to get past the group phase.

Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan's economy rate is directly proportional to the returns produced by Mustafizur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain.

Their batsmen, particularly Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, will have to distance themselves from their nightmare shots in Bangalore.

Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar will have to finish the jobs they start. For Bangladesh to beat New Zealand for the first time in T20Is, a lot has to go their way.

Clinical is a word that best describes New Zealand's showing in this T20 World Cup.

The official coin of ICC World T20 2016 at India used for the toss. Photo: ICC

Martin Guptill has been the only half-centurion for the team so far, but not relying on individual performances and putting their collective strength on display is how Kane Williamson's team have gone about things.

New Zealand have read conditions and balanced their side well on pitches that have primarily suited their spinners, and leaving out Tim Southee and Trent Boult has been seen as a right move.

Legspinner Ish Sodhi, who has been a revelation with his loop and control, and Mitchell Santner's have produced the goods when required.

Tamim Iqbal has been Bangladesh's top run-getter in this tourney, with close to 300 runs. Even in the game against India, he was batting aggressively and threatened to take the match away from MS Dhoni and company.

However, the rest of the batsmen have not been consistent enough. Sabbir Rahman is the next best with 135 runs.

Shakib Al Hasan has been blowing hot and cold, while Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim haven't been at their best.

With the ball too, none of them, barring Shakib, have got to double-digits in the wickets column. Can they click together as a unit today? Only time will tell...

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Shuvagata Hom, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Al-Amin Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman

New Zealand

Kane Williamson(c), Henry Nicholls, Colin Munro, Corey Anderson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Luke Ronchi(w), Mitchell Santner, Nathan McCullum, Mitchell McClenaghan and Ish Sodhi

Bangladeshi cricket fan cheer their team as they watch the World T20 cricket tournament match between Bangladesh and India broadcast on a screen in a street in Dhaka on March 23, 2016. Photo: AFP