Rawalpindi, Feb 24 (IANS) Michael Bracewell’s four-fer, along with two wickets by William O’Rourke helped New Zealand restrict Bangladesh to 236/9 at the end of 50 overs in a crucial league match of the Champions Trophy 2025 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium here on Monday. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto top scored with 77 runs for Bangladesh, whilst Jaker Ali provided support at the back end with a 45-run contribution in a match that Bangladesh needed to win to keep the group scenarios alive. Bangladesh lost their opening match to India while New Zealand defeated hosts Pakistan in the opener. By winning this match, New Zealand will seal their place in the semifinals. Bracewell became the first NZ spinner, since Paul Wiseman in 2002, to take a four-fer in ICC Champions Trophy. He ended the night with figures of 4-26, having bowled 43 dot balls in his designated ten overs. Bracewell’s efforts were also the best-ever figures for a Black Caps spinner in the tournament. Put in to bat first, Bangladesh got off to a solid start through openers Tanzid Hasan and Shanto. Tanzid took the fight to the Kiwis in the opening exchanges with Kyle Jamieson, who was included in the squad in place of Nathan Smith, being hit for a four and six of consecutive deliveries in the second over. Bangladesh struggled to make the most of the middle overs of the first power-play and faced a brief period with 11 dot balls in a row before Tanzid decided to break the shackles by dispatching a short ball by Matt Henry for a six over the midwicket boundary. The left-handed skipper also joined in an over later by dispatching Jamieson for three boundaries in the eighth over. The New Zealand skipper decided to hand the ball to Bracewell who instantly delivered by ending the 45-run opening stand with his second delivery. A full-length ball, directed at the pads, saw Tanzid attempt to heave it across the line but found a diving Kane Williamson, who made no mistake in catching it at mid-wicket. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took no time to introduce himself as he stepped down the crease and hit an aesthetically pleasing six, off Bracewell, straight down the ground just three deliveries later. Bangladesh have gotten off to a solid start with 58/1 on the board at the end of the first power-play. Miraz fell soon after, in the 12th over, and was dismissed by William O’Rourke. Bangladesh’s hero from the game against India, Towhid Hridoy, was put under pressure from the opening ball as the Kiwis put a chokehold on the batters. The right-handed batter was only able to conjure seven runs, in 24 deliveries, before falling prey to Bracewell. Santner decided to take the ball in his hands and deploy spin from both ends to further add pressure on the Bangladesh batting unit. Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh’s most experienced wicketkeeper, was not at the crease for long as he tried to slog-sweep Bracewell, and ended up holing out to Rachin Ravindra at deep midwicket. With wickets tumbling from one end, Shanto managed to reach his fifty in 71 deliveries and also ended the innings with his highest score against New Zealand in the ODI. Bracewell, who bowled 10 overs in one uninterrupted spell, ended up delivering one final time in his last over by dismissing Mahmudullah in his final over of the day. The Bangladesh skipper fell after a valiant 77, off 110 deliveries, but will certainly be disappointed having not gone on to register a bigger total. O’Rourke struck again with the short ball angled in, Shanto attempted a pull but top-edged it, with Bracewell sprinting to take a sliding catch at mid-on. With 10 overs left to play, and Bangladesh only having managed to score 172/6, Jaker Ali played a similar innings to his 68-run cameo against India, stabilised the innings with Rishad Hossain at the crease with the latter scoring 24 runs before being caught off Matt Henry’s bowling in the 44th over Ali combined with three fours and one six before being run out in the 49th over. With Taskin Ahmed on strike, Jaker attempted to steal a run off a bye but wicket-keeper Tom Latham made no mistakes in directing his underarm throw onto the wickets to deny him of what would have been his third ODI half-century. Jamieson also removed Ahmed in the final over the innings to limit the Bangladesh side to 236/9 With the average first-innings score at Rawalpindi being 242 and dew expected to come into effect in the second innings, New Zealand have a solid shot at attempting to seal the second and final qualification spot with a win against Bangladesh. Brief scores: Bangladesh 236/9 in 50 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 77, Jaker Ali 45, Rishad Hossain 26; Michael Bracewell 4-26, William O’Rourke 2-48) vs New Zealand. –IANS aaa/bsk/
