NZ vs BAN Match Prediction & Betting Tips - Feb 15, 2019
After a rather humdrum contest in the first ODI of the series between New Zealand and Bangladesh, the actions now moves to Christchurch where the two teams will meet to play the second match of the series. The match will be played on Saturday, 16th January. The hosts got off to a flying start with a win in the opening encounter and will be looking to win the second match as well and take an unassailable lead in the series. Bangladesh, on the other hand, struggled to cope up with the Kiwi conditions and were ineffective in both the departments of the game. Although they've done well in recent times in ODI cricket, most of their wins have been in Asian conditions. Playing in New Zealand is as close as they could get to simulate English conditions before the World Cup, and they'd like to get a couple of good performances before flying to England.
NZ vs BAN Team Previews
New Zealand
Terming Kiwi performance in the first ODI anything less than clinical will not be a sin. Martin Guptill appeared to be at his best and scored a relentless century after their bowlers wrecked tourists with some extraordinary spells of quick bowling.
With a win in the first game, the Kiwis are left in a position of comfort and can try out a few combinations before the World Cup should they win the upcoming fixture. It was all about Martin Guptill in the second innings of the chase as he slammed a gritty hundred on a surface that wasn't really easiest to bat on. His knock which played a vital role in their opening partnership of 103 with Henry Nicholls for the opening sealed the fate of the game as the Kiwis eventually chased down the total with eight wickets in hand.
Apart from Guptill's 117-run knock, it was their bowling effort which pushed Kiwis in the position to dictate terms. Matt Henry and Trent Boult troubled the tourists with pace and swing respectively as the duo picked up five important wickets between them. Although Mitchell Santner was a bit expensive, he picked up three quick wickets towards the end to wrap Bangladesh up for just 232 which were eventually chased with considerable ease.
New Zealand Playing 11
Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, KS Williamson, Ross Taylor, TWM Latham, Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham, TD Astle, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, TA Boult.
Bangladesh
None of the Bangladeshi top-order batsmen was able to carry his BPL form into the ODI series with a lot of difference in the conditions. Their batsmen struggled against the opening pair of Boult and Henry and were reduced to 94 for 6 batting first.
Their only batsmen in the top-four who looked at home against Kiwis was Soumya Sarkar, but he too perished in a quest to score quickly - which was something they required the least. A fighting half-century from Mohammad Mithun coupled with a couple of cameos from Mohammad Saifuddin and Mehidy Hasan Miraz propelled them to 232, but lack of accuracy and discipline from their bowlers rendered the scored too little.
With a subpar score surface, their bowlers were never going to test Kiwis with the scoreboard pressure. They needed to be aggressive right from the beginning but took the defensive route. It backfired massively as they not only failed to pick up wickets but also conceded runs at a rapid rate once Kiwi batsmen were set. Even on a slowish surface, their spinners struggled to trouble New Zealand batsmen which is something that will concern their management going into the second match of the series.
Bangladesh Playing 11
Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman.
NZ vs BAN Betting Tips
Although the match is of mighty importance for both the sides as far as the fate of the series is concerned, it is likely to play a huge role in World Cup selections for both the teams. With IPL set to begin in just over a month's time, there isn't really much time left for the teams to finalize their squad sheets. New Zealand did well in the opening encounter and will be looking to seal the series and leave the third ODI for a bit of experimentation. With Ross Taylor and openers in fine form and Bangladesh struggling to adapt to Kiwi conditions, the hosts go in as firm favorites to emerge on top in the upcoming fixture as well.
We are eager to know what you think of our match predictions, if there is anything we can do better or if you want to let us know your own predictions for the match.