Cricket
Taylor steers Black Caps home
2010-02-08 14:37
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Dunedin - Ross Taylor scored a blistering 78 to propel New Zealand to a commanding five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second one-day international at the University Oval, Dunedin, on Monday, and thereby clinching the three-match series.
Losing Brendon McCullum early in the chase, the hosts regrouped and reached 100/3 before Taylor and Martin Guptill combined to add the telling partnership of 79 to take them within four runs of victory.
Man-of-the-Match Taylor was his destructive self, reaching his 13th ODI half-century with two successive sixes off Naeem Islam in only 36 deliveries.
Even though Bangladeshi skipper Shakib-al-Hasan rotated the bowlers with intent, it did not distract Taylor as he took 14 runs off Shahadat Hossain in the next over and a six off Rubel Hossain the over thereafter.
Rubel also conceded 15 runs off his following over.
Taylor was eventually out for 78 off 52 balls - this included six fours and five maximums, but by that time it was too little, too late for the visitors.
Two quick wickets in the dying moments did not alter the eventual outcome and Daniel Vettori creamed the winning runs through long leg with 22.3 overs to spare.
Earlier, Bangladesh reached a modest 183/8, after finding themselves in early trouble, having been asked to bat first, as they lost their first three wickets for 14 runs.
Another three wickets were soon to follow and at 46/6 Bangladesh were in danger of not batting out their 50 overs by a mile.
However, Mushfiqur Rahim combined with Naeem Islam (43) for a solid - if slow - seventh-wicket partnership of 101 runs before the latter's stumps were flattened by Ian Butler.
In the final over of the game, Butler collected his third scalp, by removing Rahim for a superb 107-ball 83 that included eight fours and three sixes.
Butler finished with 3/43 and Andy McKay collected an incredible 2/17 off his 10 overs.
Teams: New Zealand: BB McCullum (wk), PJ Ingram, MJ Guptill, LRPL Taylor, JEC Franklin, NT Broom, DL Vettori (captain), JDP Oram, IG Butler, DR Tuffey, AJ McKay
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain