New Zealand win by eight wickets

New Zealand win by eight wickets

If the first win was emphatic, what would you call this? Absolute domination by the hosts and once again it was Martin Guptill’s century that helped New Zealand stroll to their target.

New Zealand win by eight wickets and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

‘It was a tough day’

Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh captain, said:

‘It was a tough day. Mithun has kept scoring runs, that's a positive, but I think we have to score more heavily at the top. We have to play as a group, in both matches we got 230-ish, but we need to get to 270-280. We need bigger partnerships like 60-70 runs rather than 30-40, so hopefully we can step up and give our best.’

‘A clinical performance’

Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain, said:

‘A clinical performance from us. We got a bit of overcast conditions, and a responsive surface in our favour. The guys learnt some harsh lessons in the Indian series. Martin Guptill was brilliant in the first game and just carried on in this game. Back to back hundreds – that’s freakish. He’s been hitting it beautifully. I just wanted to play second fiddle to him.’

Martin Guptill is the Player of the Match

Guptill said: ‘There was a lot more flow and rhythm in that one like a few years ago. It was a nicer wicket to bat on. Stats don't really drive me, milestones are secondary, you only go out there to win the game for your team.’

With this victory, New Zealand have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final ODI will be played on Wednesday, 20 February in Dunedin.

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