Kuiwis beat Tigers by 52 runs in third T20I

New Zealand kept the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh very much alive after ousting the Tigers by a convincing margin of 52 runs in the third game at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Sunday.

The Kiwis now trail the home side 1-2 with the fourth and penultimate match taking place Tuesday at the same venue.

Chasing 129 on yet another slow and low wicket in Mirpur, the hosts fell well short as they were bundled out for 76 in 19.4 overs with Mushfiqur Rahim unbeaten at the end on a patient 37-ball 20, the highest of a disappointing Bangladesh innings.

This was Bangladesh's joint second lowest total after also being dismissed for the same total away to the same opposition early in April this year.

Only openers Liton Das (15) and Mohammad Naim (13) reached double digit as the Tigers' wait grew of a maiden T20I series win over the Kiwis.

After the Bangladesh openers put on 23, the remaining 10 wickets fell for just 53 runs.

Neither the home nor the visiting side scored a six, first time this has happened in a T20I between two Test-playing nations.

Slow bowlers Ajaz Patel (4/16) and Cole McConchie (3/15) put the Bangladesh batters in all sorts of trouble, giving away a combined 31 runs in their eight overs, while fellow spinner Rachin Ravindra and medium pacers Scott Kuggeleijn and Colin de Grandhomme picked up a wicket each.

New Zealand earlier posted a modest 128/5 in their 20 overs; Henry Nicholls (36*) and Tom Blundell (30*) rescuing their side with a 66-run stand for the unbroken sixth wicket.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham had won the toss and elected to bat first.

Bangladesh remained unchanged from their first two games of the series, while the Kiwis made three changes with Finn Allen, Kuggeleijn and Jacob Duffy coming into the side in place of John Bracewell, Ben Sears and Hamish Bennett.

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah (c), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (w), Mahedi Hasan, Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

New Zealand (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Tom Latham (w/c), Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ajaz Patel, Jacob Duffy.