Blair Tickner’s four-wicket burst seals Black Caps first ODI win over Bangladesh in Dhaka
New Zealand have opened their three-match ODI series in Bangladesh with a hard-fought 26-run victory in Mirpur, and the match will long be remembered for a devastating late-innings spell from fast bowler Blair Tickner that wrenched the game from Bangladesh’s grasp in the space of four overs.
Batting first at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday, the Black Caps posted 247 for eight from their 50 overs. It was not a total that looked likely to be enough through much of the chase, with Bangladesh advancing steadily to reach 194 for five in the 44th over and looking well placed for what would have been a memorable home win. What followed was one of the more dramatic reversals of a New Zealand ODI in recent memory.
Tickner, who had been kept wicketless through the bulk of his spell, found a gear in the closing stages that Bangladesh’s lower order had no answer for. He dismissed captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind for six, then claimed three further wickets as Bangladesh crumbled from a position of apparent comfort to be bowled out for 221 in the 49th over. His final figures of four wickets for 40 runs came at a cost of just five runs across his final four overs. It was the kind of death bowling that turned a potential defeat into a series-opening win.
Nathan Smith had done important earlier work with the ball, taking three wickets for 45 runs and removing both openers in consecutive deliveries — Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Najmul Hossain Shanto — to put early pressure on the home side. Jayden Lennox broke a dangerous fifth-wicket partnership by dismissing Afif Hossain for 27, and Will O’Rourke removed the well-set Saif Hassan to give New Zealand the foothold they needed. Dean Foxcroft, playing a bowling role alongside his more familiar contributions with the bat, bowled Litton Das to claim his first wicket at international level.
Bangladesh’s chase had been steered along primarily by Saif Hassan and Litton Das, who put on 93 for the third wicket after the openers fell cheaply. Saif Hassan was the more composed of the two, making 57 in an innings that included surviving on one before finding his footing. Litton Das contributed 46, and Towhid Hridoy kept the required rate manageable with a determined 55 that took Bangladesh deep into the 40th over range. When Hridoy departed, a Bangladesh victory still appeared the most likely outcome. It was Tickner’s late intervention that changed the story.
New Zealand’s batting effort had been anchored by two significant partnerships earlier in the day. Henry Nicholls provided the kind of assured, patient top-order innings that has become his trademark on the international stage, making 68 from 83 balls and sharing a stand of 73 with Will Young, who contributed 30. Nicholls’ experience in subcontinental conditions proved valuable as the Black Caps navigated a disciplined Bangladesh bowling attack on a surface offering more variation than touring sides might prefer.
But the standout performer with the bat was Foxcroft, whose 59 from 58 deliveries — studded with eight boundaries — earned him the Player of the Match award. The Central Districts batter played with a freedom and confidence that lifted the total beyond what had seemed likely at various points in the innings, and his ability to score at better than a run a ball against quality spin bowling in testing heat conditions spoke to his rapidly developing international game. Bangladesh’s bowlers, led by Shoriful Islam with two wickets for 27 from his 10 overs, Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain, restricted New Zealand well enough to leave the target chaseable — but ultimately just out of reach.
Foxcroft was candid about the challenge of competing in Dhaka. Speaking after the match, he said it was not an easy place to come and win games and that the extreme heat was something New Zealand sides are not used to. His words reflected the reality facing any touring side in Bangladesh, where the heat, humidity and turning pitches combine to test the patience and technique of visiting cricketers in ways that home conditions rarely do.
Foxcroft’s journey to this moment has been anything but straightforward. Born in Pretoria and initially on a track toward representing South Africa — he featured in their Under-19 squad for the 2016 World Cup — he emigrated to New Zealand and worked his way through the domestic system with Taradale, Central Districts and Otago. He was named New Zealand Cricket’s Domestic Cricketer of the Year for the 2022/23 season, recognition that preceded his international debut against Bangladesh in September 2023. His 59 here, combined with his first international wicket in the same match, represents a notable day in a career that continues to develop at the highest level.
For the Black Caps, the win puts them 1-0 up in the series with the second ODI scheduled for Monday in Dhaka. The tour of Bangladesh has traditionally been a testing assignment for New Zealand, and holding their nerve when the match appeared to be slipping away reflects the resilience this side has shown in overseas conditions over recent seasons. A series win would be a meaningful result ahead of a demanding international schedule for the remainder of the year.
Full match details and updates ahead of the second ODI can be found at RNZ Sport and ESPNcricinfo. Are you following the Black Caps’ tour of Bangladesh? What do you make of their start to the series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.