DHAKA, Feb 20, 2019 (BSS)- Ross Taylor became New Zealand’s highest scoring one-day international batsman as the hosts amassed a massive total of 330 for 6 from their allotted 50 overs against Bangladesh in the third and final ODI in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Asked to bat first by Bangladesh, Taylor scored 69 off 82 balls with Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham also making half centuries.
Pacer Mustafizur Rahman was the only successful bowler by picking up two wickets, but they came at a price as he gave 93 runs from his 10 overs.
The right handed batsman Taylor’s 47th ODI half-century took his career tally in the 50-over format to 8,026 runs, overtaking Stephen Fleming’s 8,007.
The 34-year-old, who made his ODI debut in 2006, reached his milestone in 203 innings with a superb average of 48.34. Batsman Colin Munro’s struggle for form continued as he was out lbw for eight off Mashrafe Mortaza delivery, meaning he has only one half-century in eight ODIs.
Nicholls is set to take the opening batting spot off him after a composing 64 runs off 74-ball with seven boundaries while captain cum wicket keeper Tom Latham smashed with a solid 51-ball off 59 runs hitting two boundaries three over boundaries before he was the victim of Mustafizur Rahman.
Later Colin de Grandhomme and Jimmy Neesham both scored 37 to steer the Black Cap to set a challenging target for Bangladesh.
Apart from Mustafizur’s two wickets haul, Mehedi Hasan, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin all took one New Zealand wickets each.
Brief score:
New Zealand – 330 for 6 in 50 overs, Taylor 69, Nicholls 64, Latham 59, Colin 37, Neesham 37, Guptill 29, Mustafizur 2/93.