Nahid Rana takes five wickets as Bangladesh beats New Zealand to level ODI series

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MIRPUR, Bangladesh (AP) — Pace bowler Nahid Rana claimed 5-32 to help Bangladesh win the second ODI against New Zealand by six wickets and level the three-match series on Monday.

The second five-wicket haul in Nahid's brief career was instrumental in bowling out New Zealand for 198 in 48.4 overs, giving Bangladesh a strong chance to level the series.

Opener Tanzid Hasan then struck a fluent 58 ball 76 and Najmul Hossain Shanto made a patient 50 before retiring hurt, taking Bangladesh to the winning target of 199-4 with 87 balls remaining.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham opted to bat first but his side struggled to deal with Nahid’s express pace on a slow surface.

Opener Nick Kelly hit 83 off 102 balls, including 14 fours to register his maiden fifty-plus score and push the visitors close to the 200-mark.

However, he received little support from the rest of the batting lineup, with no other batter crossing 20.

New Zealand began cautiously on a sluggish pitch where the ball frequently kept low, making stroke-play difficult.

Nahid made the early breakthrough, clocking 144.7 kph to dismiss Henry Nicholls. He struck again in his next over to remove Will Young, before Latham edged one behind to wicketkeeper Litton Das, giving Soumya Sarkar his only wicket after returning to the side in place of Afif Hossain.

Despite Kelly’s resistance, Nahid continued to rip through the middle order with pace and aggression.

Shoriful Islam eventually removed Kelly with a short-pitched delivery and later dismissed Blair Tickner to finish with 2-32.

Nahid completed his second ODI five-wicket haul by clean bowling Jayden Lennox for a duck.

He nearly had a sixth when Will O’Rourke survived a review but Taskin Ahmed dismissed him to wrap up the innings.

Pacer Nathan Smith removed Saif Hasan and O’Rourke dismissed Soumya in single-digit figures, leaving Bangladesh at 21-2 in the fourth over, giving New Zealand glimmer of hope.

Tanzid and Shanto then shattered that hope, adding 120-runs for the third wicket. Left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox broke through by sending back Tanzid and also removed Litton, who was playing his 100th ODI, for 7.

A muscle cramp forced Shanto to retire just after he reached his 12th fifty, his first since February 2025, but Bangladesh had already taken the complete control of the game.

The series-deciding ODI is on Thursday in Chattogram.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket