The BLACKCAPS have slumped to their first defeat against Bangladesh after losing the opening one-day international in Mirpur by seven wickets.
The tourists were outplayed with the bat, the ball and in the field as Bangladesh chased down their modest target of 202 with 27 balls to spare to take a shock 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
It marked the first time in 12 meetings that the BLACKCAPS had lost to the Tigers and swiftly ended their goal of vaulting to No 2 in the International Cricket Council one-day rankings.
Such a promotion was in the offing providing they won the three-match series 3-0, which they were widely expected to do. But Bangladesh put paid to that with a confident allround performance, limiting the tourists to 201 for nine after a fine display in the field.
In their first outing since July, the BLACKCAPS were clearly ring rusty but that can take nothing away from Bangladesh, contesting their first series since losing the services of 14 frontline players who deserted the national team to join the rebel Indian Cricket League.
Opener Zunaed Siddique stood tallest for the hosts to score a career-best 85, including eight boundaries, off 139 balls to set up his team against a bowling attack that failed to penetrate.
Captain Mohammad Ashraful was equally influential, making 60 not out off 56 balls as he and Siddique combined in a stand of 109 for the third wicket, their nation's best for any wicket against the BLACKCAPS. Earlier, the BLACKCAPS suffered a batting collapse to hand the initiative to Bangladesh.
After being invited to bat first in damp and overcast conditions, they lost five wickets for 18 runs to slump to 65 for five inside 17 overs before Jacob Oram led the resistance movement with a battling 57 off 89 deliveries. The only top order batsman to get underway was Jesse Ryder, who made 34 off 35 balls before spooning a catch to mid wicket.
Oram tempered his natural inclination to hit out as he and skipper Daniel Vettori cautiously set about turning the tide. These two put on 70 for the seventh wicket as the tourists reached 149 after 40 overs before Vettori departed for 30.
Oram hung around for another six overs before holing out at long on to become left-armer spinner Abdur Razzak's third victim. Razzak finished with the fine figures of three for 33 off 10 overs, but he was outshone by spirited fast-medium bowler Mashrafe Mortaza, who enjoyed the helpful conditions early on.
Mortaza snared three for 18 in his opening burst of eight overs and returned to pick up another late in the piece. He ended with four for 44, figures which suffered in his last spell when he conceded 26 runs in his last two overs.
Teenager Tim Southee swatted an unbeaten 19 off 14 balls at the death to drag the tourists over the 200 mark. Kyle Mills, Mark Gillespie and Scott Styris all claimed a wicket each but the bowlers could do little to prevent the historic win for the hosts.
The second match of the series is at the same venue on Saturday.
BLACKCAPS: Daniel Vettori (captain), Mark Gillespie, Jamie How, Daniel Flynn, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.
Bangladesh: Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Zunaed Siddique, Naeem Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud Ullah (Riadh), Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain.
