New Zealand's middle-order hoisted them to 330-6 in the third ODI against Bangladesh. Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham struck fifties before Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme blasted 74 runs at a combined strike-rate of 189.74 as the Bangladesh bowlers, despite the inclusion of Rubel Hossain, struggled to contain the run-flow, reports ESPNcricinfo.
Taylor's 69 took him past Stephen Fleming's 8,007 runs to become New Zealand's highest run-scorer in ODIs, and he did it in much quicker time too, taking only 218 ODIs compared to Fleming's 280. Nicholls and Latham struck runs at a fairly good pace too, before the home side struck 106 runs in the last ten overs.
But New Zealand's start wasn't as great. Colin Munro couldn't make best use of his chance, after being brought in to replace the rested Kane Williamson. In the fifth over, Mashrafe Mortaza had him lbw using the round the wicket angle.
Martin Guptill, fresh from two centuries in a row, fell for 29 in the 12th over when Tamim Iqbal took a good juggling catch at the long-on boundary.
Henry Nicholls however held firm at the other end, making 64 off 74 balls that contained fours with couple of pull shots, slashes past point and a whip through midwicket. But he was caught in the midwicket boundary when he top-edged a sweep off Mehidy Hasan.
Taylor was also mostly solid at the other end, as he made into New Zealand's record books. In the 28th over, his four off Mashrafe made him the second batsman from his country to reach 8,000 runs, and in the 33rd over, he went past Fleming with a single off Mehidy, as he reached 51. Taylor made 69 off 82 balls, hitting seven fours, before holing out in the square-leg boundary off Rubel Hossain.
In the next over though, Jimmy Neesham struck Mahmudullah for two sixes, as he and Tom Latham added 65 runs in just 6.4 overs, for the fifth wicket. Latham also struck two sixes in the 44th over, off Rubel, who conceded 21 in the over.
Mustafizur removed Neesham in the 45th over, but not before he had struck 37 off 24 balls. Latham's 59 came off 51 balls, containing three sixes and two fours. It paved the way for de Grandhomme who then blasted an unbeaten 37 off just 15 balls, including two sixes and four boundaries.