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Jacob Oram batting - Source: Photosport -
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There was nothing subtle in the message delivered by Jacob Oram
as New Zealand outmuscled Bangladesh to win in the first one-day
cricket international by 146 runs at Napier on Friday night.
Oram belted 83 off only 40 balls to power New Zealand to 336 for
nine before the outgunned tourists were dismissed for 190 in
the 44th over after a breezy start at McLean Park.
Having retired from Test cricket to prolong his career following a
series of serious injuries, the 31-year-old allrounder delivered a
timely reminder of his continued value after Bangladesh had the
home side in bother at 135 for five in the 27th over.
His was the fourth half-century of the innings, and the most
eye-catching, after newcomer Peter Ingram marked his first match at
this level with a fine 69 off 74 balls, Ross Taylor was all class
in making 51 off 52 and Neil Broom used cunning and craft to
compose a career best 71 off 73.
Broom and Oram combined to heavily punish the Bangladeshis in a
quickfire seventh wicket stand of 123, the best for New Zealand
against all nations, surpassing the 115 scored by Adam Parore and
Lee Germon against Pakistan in 1996-97.
Oram was very much the senior partner, belting eight fours and five
sixes as 82 runs were collected during the third batting power play
starting in the 44th over.
The 47th over, delivered by fast bowler Shahadat Hossain, leaked 25
runs, including three wides from the bowler and two sixes from
Oram, the first over long on and the second over cover.
It was a powder keg of an innings and overshadowed the efforts of
Broom and Ingram, who both succeeded in making bold statements of
their own.
A 31-year-old on debut, Ingram impressed with his calmness under
pressure after losing opening partner Brendon McCullum for a duck
to a needless runout then watching on at the other end as Martin
Guptill fell softly for two.
He and Taylor put things right by adding 98 for the third wicket
but by the time they both fell to boundary edge catches and James
Franklin, surprisingly used at No 5 only to fall meekly to a ball
angled across him, came and went cheaply, New Zealand had to
recalculate their objectives at 135 for five.
Captain Daniel Vettori moved things along with 32 off 27 balls,
then Oram took centre stage with Broom, who is still to establish
himself in the team despite playing his 17th one-dayer for his
country.
Broom used a canny knack for finding the gap to keep the score
ticking over and joined in the runspree once Oram launched himself
at the bowlers as 130 runs flowed from the last 10 overs.
None of the bowlers were spared, seamer Shafiul Islam being the
best of them with figures of four for 68 while offspinner Naeem
Islam was tidy enough in taking one for 51.
Facing an asking rate of 6.74 runs an over from the outset,
Bangladeshi openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes made a bright start
against some wayward bowling.
McKay on debut
They raced to 71 inside 11 overs before New Zealand's second
debutant, left-arm fast bowler Andy McKay, induced a false stroke
from Kayes, who was on 33 when he tried to bail out of a hook only
to offer a thin edge to wicketkeeper McCullum.
Bangladesh tapered off alarmingly after that as McKay, who ended
with figures of two for 40 and accepted a fine outfield catch at
fine leg to remove Mahmudullah for 23, then picked up
Mohammad Ashraful cheaply to another edge behind.
The squeeze went on at that point as Vettori employed himself from
the 16th over to help dry up the runs.
He did much more than that, affectively scuppering Bangladesh's
slim hopes with a double strike in the 22nd over when he trapped
Raqibul Hasan leg before wicket for nine then ended Iqbal's fine
innings four balls later.
Iqbal, a 20-year-old left-hander, had barely played a false
stroke in reaching 62 off 69 balls, with 10 boundaries, but
attempted to guide Vettori to third man only to feather another
offering to McCullum.
Vettori tightened the noose by having opposite skipper Shakib Al
Hasan caught at long off by Tim Southee and ended with the fine
figures of three for 33 as Bangladesh batted without intent for
more than half of their innings.
The second game in the three-match series is in Dunedin on
Monday.
