Skipper Kane Williamson backed New Zealand to keep getting better at cricket’s World Twenty20 yesterday after they bowled Bangladesh out for a record low to maintain their perfect record at the tournament.
All-rounder Grant Elliott took three wickets for 12 runs in his four overs while Ish Sodhi chipped in with three for 21 as Bangladesh were bundled out for just 70, condemning them to a 75-run defeat.
The Black Caps, who had already qualified for the tournament’s semi-finals, had earlier made 145 for eight at Eden Gardens with Mustafizur Rahman taking five for 22.
Williamson top-scored with 42, an innings whose value was underlined when the New Zealand bowlers wreaked havoc.  
Asked if New Zealand could now go on and win the tournament, Williamson played it cool but said his team were tuning up nicely.  
“I think every team coming into this tournament certainly had that goal and … we’re no different,” he said.
“We certainly know that every game’s tough and the fickle nature of T20 cricket—sometimes it’s hard to work out. But we’re going to look to keep improving as a team and see how far we can get.”
What had appeared to be a modest New Zealand total soon proved to be too much for the Tigers who lost their leading batsman Tamim Iqbal in the second over, run out for just three.
Bangladesh were all at sea against New Zealand’s quartet of slow bowlers and their top score came from tailender Shuvagata Hom who made 16. Only two others reached double figures.
After 11 overs they had made 45 for six and then had to sweat it out in the dressing-room after a floodlight failure brought a halt to proceedings for more than 10 minutes.
After the resumption, they continued to find the Black Caps’ bowlers pretty much unplayable and their innings only featured one six, a late blow from Rahman.
The total was the lowest for Bangladesh in any T20 international, with the record previously standing at 78.
It heaps more misery on a Bangladeshi team who failed to win any of their games at the tournament and suffered an agonising one-run defeat against India on Wednesday.
“Obviously it was very tough but I think there are a lot of positive things we can take from it,” said Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza. “A few players’ form was very good.”
The result means that New Zealand go into the last four in good heart, after earlier victories against India, Australia and Pakistan.