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Bangladesh have beaten the BLACKCAPS by nine runs to take an unassailable three-nil lead in the five match series at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka.
Once again it was captain Shakib Al Hasan who dominated the tourists with a fine century, three wickets and superb captaincy.
Bangladesh made 241 after being put into bat with their final wicket falling in the 49th over. They then bowled and fielded out of their skin to dismiss the BLACKCAPS for 232.
An incredible rearguard ton by an injured Kane Williamson kept the BLACKCAPS close but to no avail as they paid the price for a top order collapse.
It was a disastrous start to their run chase with the first three batsmen out with just 35 on the board.
BJ Watling was first to go for six before Brendon McCullum was caught after an aggressive 21 off 20 deliveries. Ross Taylor was next out after he was dished up a long hop that he hit directly to a boundary rider for just three.
Aaron Redmond and Kane Williamson looked like they had steadied the ship when Redmond was trapped LBW by Shakib for16. Captain Daniel Vettori managed just eight leaving Grant Elliott and Williamson at the crease with the scorecard reading 80 for five.
The pair rebuilt and just started to look comfortable when Elliott (22) threw away his wicket after they had put on 70 runs.
To compound the BLACKCAPS problems Williamson picked up a leg injury, requiring a runner and this meant he a support role of for the tail.
Kyle Mills hit eight with Nathan McCullum battling away to make a run-a-ball 33 leaving 17 required off nine deliveries.
Williamson swung away in the final over in an effort to get his team home but was caught on the boundary for 108.
Earlier, the BLACKCAPS got of to the perfect start with Kyle Mills removing opener Shahriar Nafees for a golden duck in the first over of the match.
Mills then had Junaid Siddique for 17 in the fifth over before debutant Hamish Bennett bowled our Raqibul Hasan for six to have Bangladesh teetering at 44 for three.
However, that brought Bangladesh’s star player Shakib to the crease. The classy all-rounder made batting look easy as he accumulated runs and lashed bad deliveries to the boundary.
The BLACKCAPS continued to chip away with Vettori having Imrul Kayes caught behind for 37 and the McCullum brothers combined to run-out Mushifiqur Rahim for 13.
Shakib Al Hasan remained strong and found a willing accomplice in Mahmudullah with the pair taking the score from 148 for five to 216 for six.
It took a superb Vettori caught and bowled to break the partnership and it was the key wicket of Shakib but not before he hit a superb 106.
With the key man back in the hut the BLACKCAPS pounced, with pacemen Daryl Tuffey and Hamish Bennett ripping through the lower order. They managed to restrict the home side to 241 in the 48th over when a much higher total was on the cards.
Tuffey, who went for 14 in his first two overs, finished with two for 31 while Bennett was the leading wicket taker with three for 44
Vettori was his usual miserly best, conceding just 35 runs and chipping in with two wickets.
