Spin allrounder Amelia Kerr has rescued the White Ferns with the bat, steering them to a T20 series win over Bangladesh at Dunedin.
After their 132-run romp two days earlier, the NZ women needed victory to clinch the three-match contest against their less experienced opponents, but found themselves in a spot of bother at 71/4 in the 12th over of their innings.
Dropped down the order, Kerr topscored with 46 runs off 30 balls and combined with Maddy Green in an unbeaten 77-run partnership that elevated the Ferns to 148/4 off their 20 overs.
Dismissed for just 32 in their previous encounter, Bangladesh made a better fist of their chase second time round, without quite challenging the required run rate for victory. Captain Nigar Sultana compiled 31 runs off 33 balls, before she was run out, but her team fell 37 runs short.
Hayley Jensen was the only NZ bowler to claim two wickets, but makeshift wicketkeeper Green showed improvement with the gloves, stumping opener Murshida Khatun and Fargana Hoque off the bowling of spinners Fran Jonas and Eden Carson respectively.
In the series-opener, Green dropped a regulation edge that would have provided fast-bowler Lea Tahuhu a five-wicket bag.
Kerr also starred in the field, taking catches to dismiss tailenders Manufa Akter and Nahida Akter in the final overs, waving off skipper Sophie Devine for the latter.
"I called mine early," she said. "I thought Soph was going for it and if I ran into her, I would end up a whole lot worse, so I'm glad I caught it in the end."
The two teams now move to Queenstown for the third rubber on Wednesday, before commencing a one-day series at Wellington next Sunday.
New Zealand 148/4 (Kerr 46no, Green 37no; Akter 2/22) Bangladesh 111/8 (Sultana 31, Akhter 22; Jensen 2/12)
White Ferns win by 37 runs
