New Zealand defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets to register their third successive win in the ICC World Cup in Chennai on Friday.
Asked to bat first, Bangladesh scored 245 for nine. The Kiwis chased down the target with 43 balls to spare. For New Zealand, Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell made 78 and 89 respectively.
Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain:, said, [on the knock to his thumb] Just made holding the bat a little tough. Secondary to the thumb (laughs). The guys in the first half with the ball were excellent. Was nice to build partnerships and take it deep. Midway through the powerplay we thought we can hit the deck a little hard. Good competitive wicket. Really good team performance. Lockie was outstanding. The seam bowlers were really effective. He hasn’t had the good fortune. Was nice to be out there and be part of some of the partnerships. Just scrapped through the new ball. Great team performance. Mitchell is a great contributor. He is a team first guy. He has been great to watch.
Najmul Hossain Shanto (comes in to talk in place of Shakib), said, [on Shakib] He is going for his scans. We will know after that. We didn’t bat well. We didn’t start well. We batted poorly even in the last game in the first 10-15 overs. The wicket looks good. Some bounce with the new ball. We have to bat little responsibly. If we bat a little carefully in the first 10-15, then we can do well. Our pace bowlers did well. I think the biggest improvement has been our fast bowling department. We will have to bat well.