Cricket: Black Caps hit Bangladesh in first ODI match

Trent Boult had a lot of fun. Martin Guptill was amused. Henry Nicholls had a blast and the packed Dunedin crowd had a nice day before retiring home for a glass of mulled wine in front of the fire.

The Bangladeshis? It’s not that funny.

For the fourteenth time in 14 attempts, they failed to achieve their first ODI victory against New Zealand in New Zealand. A long short road.

New Zealand won by eight wickets, with 28 overs to spare, with Nicholls and Will Young without 49 and 11.

Bangladesh’s hitting was so poor and so devoid of strategic sense that it was impossible to make a proper assessment of their bowling alley as they had nothing to defend. Guptill was also not interested in doing a detailed evaluation, choosing instead to finish the match as soon as possible, throwing four of the 19 balls he faced during six during his 38 cameo.

Devon Conway also had some time in the crease on debut, scoring a comparatively laborious 27 of 52 balls.

The Black Caps have won every series they have played this summer and, with the force of this game, they stretch the limits of the imagination to think that the streak will end in the next two games.

Bangladesh could have looked at the small ground and a series of unfamiliar names on New Zealand’s scorecard and thought, ‘We could have a chance here.’

Tom Latham won the draw, inserted the visitors, and Boult quickly disabused Bangladesh of the idea that this would be anything other than a close examination of technique and temperament.

Boult is the best bowler of more than 50 years in the world. That is not an unsolicited opinion. It’s written in a graphic on the ICC website, so there.

Even if his worldview leans toward cynicism when faced with graphs and charts, there was plenty of real-time evidence of Boult’s supreme ability. His five-plus opening spell was a clinic scored with two scalps and several balls that were too good to get wickets.

Boult probed cruelly like Torquemada’s. Twice he beat Tamim with balls that rocked and slid past the outer edge before sliding one to catch him like a stone. The raising of the finger was a merciful relief for Tamim, not so much for Soumya Sarkar, who replaced him and followed him back to the sheds in a brief job after a misguided attempt at an uppercut.

Boult (4-27) was far from alone. Matt Henry was a willing inquisitor and another day his opening spell of six more would have bought rewards. He would be within his right to demand that Latham yell at him a Tom Collins when they hit Dunedin’s vibrant nightlife after the goalkeeper dived in front of Daryl Mitchell and caused him to spill a regulation lead.

In another for the cricket-no-sense archive, Henry would finally get a wicket with a long range jump that top scorer Mahmudullah slapped Mitchell Santner directly.

Kyle Jamieson reminded everyone of his talent after an awkward fortnight during the transtasman T20 series, worrying all hitters with his rebound and swing. It will launch much worse and return better figures.

Even Jimmy Neesham, whose six-plus running economy rate hints at his inconsistency, kept hitters low, while ruling out dangerous Liton Das (19) and Mushfiqur Rahim (23).

He also had a hand, literally on the fifth ejection when he tried and failed to make a one-handed return, but parried the ball on the stumps where non-forward Mohammad Mithun was stranded.

Halfway through, Bangladesh was 73-5 and going nowhere fast. Mahedi Hasan replaced Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Santner made a conscientious shot between his legs and landed the second ball he faced in international cricket 94 meters over the coverage limit.

It was a rare highlight that counted for little when Santner outwitted him a couple of overs later, prompting Mahedi (14) to swing a ball to a fast-retreating Nicholls.

Boult finished insufficient innings with a wonderful delivery that sliced ​​through the top of Hasan Mahmud’s stump, then outplayed Taskin Ahmed with a knuckle ball.

“It was a good shot to win,” Boult said at the inning break. “It was a little spicy that he played some tricks.”

That may be so, although Guptill downplayed any deception on the surface.

Bangladesh was reminded of how far they are from home.

The teams meet again on Tuesday in Christchurch. It will be a moving return for the team, some of whom fled the Masjid Al Noor mosque in the city that tragic day two years ago.