MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Heavy rain forced the second of three Twenty20 internationals between hosts New Zealand and Bangladesh to be called off at Bay Oval on Friday.
New Zeland scored 72-2 in 11 overs, with Daryl Mitchell (18) and Glenn Phillips (9) on the crease when rain played spoilsport and halted the play.
Having put the Black Caps into bat under overcast skies at Mount Maunganui on Friday, Bangladesh struck early when opener Finn Allen was caught in the second over with New Zealand on nine for one.
Tim Seifert smashed 43 off 23 balls before being caught to end his second-wicket partnership of 49 with Daryl Mitchell before rain started to fall.
Bangladesh are currently leading the series 1-0 after their bowlers ran riot in the opening match last Wednesday, paving the way to a five-wicket victory in Napier.
It was the visitors’ first-ever T20I win over the Black Caps in New Zealand.
Asked to bat by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, New Zealand made a disastrous start losing three wickets before reaching 134 for nine after their 20 overs.
The Black Caps bowlers gave home fans hope with the early wickets of Bangladesh openers Rony Talukdar and Shanto.
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Veteran Litton Das partnered up with Soumya Sarkar, and then Towhid Hridoy to steer Bangladesh to 96-4 after 13 overs.
The visitors were wobbling at 97-5 as they lost wickets in quick succession after Afif Hossain was caught for one run in six balls.
Das, who finished on 42 not out, survived two close calls as he battled cramp.
The on-field umpire gave him out lbw on Tim Southee’s bowling, but the Bangladesh opener stayed at the crease when the review showed the ball would have sailed over the stumps.
Ish Sodhi then caught Das at the boundary but stepped onto the boundary rope to give away six runs.
It fell to Mahedi Hasan, who finished 19 not out, to hit the winning runs in his partnership of 40 with Das with eight balls spare.
Bangladesh have a good chance to seal their first series win in New Zealand in any format on Sunday when the third and final T20 is also held at Mount Maunganui.
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