<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>The Bangladesh cricket team began their New Zealand tour on a positive note, securing a win in the tour match against New Zealand XI on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In a noteworthy performance, four batsmen notched up half centuries for Bangladesh, with Rishad Hossain surprisingly emerging as the highest scorer with 87 runs, featuring four sixes. Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Tanzid Tamin also contributed by surpassing the 50-run mark.</div><div><br></div><div>Batting first, Bangladesh set a challenging total of 334 for all wickets.</div><div><br></div><div>In response, New Zealand XI showcased a commendable batting display but fell short by 26 runs. Bharat Popli scored 92 runs, while Sandeep Patel contributed 89 runs.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh's Rishad claimed three wickets, supported by Hasan Mahmud and Afif Hossain, who both secured two wickets each.</div><div><br></div><div>The ODI series is scheduled to commence on December 17th, followed by the T20I series starting on December 27th. These matches will be held at various venues in Dunedin, Nelson, Napier, and Mount Maunganui. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>