New Zealand captain Tom Latham called it “awesome” as star performers Trent Boult and Martin Guptill powered the Black Caps to an emphatic eight wicket win over Bangladesh in the opening ODI in Dunedin on Saturday.
With swing king Boult moving the ball both ways, New Zealand dismissed Bangladesh for a mediocre 131 and a blistering cameo with the bat by Guptill saw them cut down the target with more than 28 overs to spare.
In New Zealand’s first ODI in 12 months, Boult took four for 27 while Guptill blazed away for 38 off 19 deliveries.
“We haven’t played for a while and it was about setting the tone, winning the toss and bowling and I thought Trent and Matt Henry did that great, and for us to chase 130 in 20-odd overs was awesome,” captain Tom Latham said.
“And we know how destructive he (Guptill) can be when he plays like that, and to break the back of the chase was awesome and for the guys to finish it off then was a pretty clinical performance all round.”
All but two of Guptill’s 38 runs came from boundaries with four sixes and three fours before Taskin Ahmed found a faint edge and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim completed the dismissal.
Devon Conway in his maiden ODI was the other wicket to fall for 27 while opener Henry Nicholls was left 49 not out. Nicholls was denied his 12th half century when another debutant Will Young (11 not out) brought up the winning runs with a boundary.
Earlier in addition to Boult’s four-wicket haul, Jimmy Neesham took two for 27 and Mitchell Santner finished with two for 23.