Bridgetown: Stephen Fleming’s New Zealand squad was still on a high from last month’s series win over Australia when Bangladesh crashed the celebrations with a shocking reality check.

Fleming was struggling to explain an upset two-wicket loss to Bangladesh in a World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday

“It was a day when nothing went right,” Fleming said. “We batted poorly and did not assess conditions that well. We just couldn’t shake them, but credit to them. It was a great performance. And it gives us some problems going forward.”

Bangladesh’s win was the most shocking result in the first bracket of tune-up matches. Top-ranked South Africa rallied from 91 for eight to hold off Ireland by 37 runs on Monday, when England thrashed Bermuda by 241 runs, hosts West Indies held off Kenya and Sri Lanka beat Scotland.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar said he was hoping for at least two wins in the group stage of the World Cup.

“Before the World Cup, nobody recognised we could make the second round — that’s the target we set,” he said. “This has given us a mental booster. We need to do that in World Cup matches.”

Mashrafee Murtaza took four wickets to restrict New Zealand to 226 and then plundered consecutive sixes in the penultimate over off James Franklin to lift Bangladesh to 230 for eight.

He finished unbeaten on 30 from 14 balls, including three sixes, and Abdur Razzak finished unbeaten on four in a 31-run ninth-wicket partnership.

Razzak led the bowling with four for 26 in 10 overs, while Murtaza returned four for 44 from 9.2.

Fleming said despite the loss, there were some positives for New Zealand apart from Jacob Oram’s return from a finger injury with 88 in a 105-run stand with Brendon McCullum (46).

“It was a bad performance, no doubt we have to improve,” he said. “But if you put a spin on it, it’s good to get a wake-up call before the World Cup... and at least we didn’t do it in a pool game.”

BRIEF SCORES

New Zealand 226 in 49.2 ovs (Jacob Oram 88, Brendon McCullum 46; Mashrafee Murtaza 4/44, Abdur Razzak 4/26). Bangladesh 230/8 in 49 ovs (Javed Omar 45, Tamim Iqbal 46, Mashrafee Murtaza 30 ..; James Franklin 2/54, Daniel Vettori 3/38). Bangladesh won by two wickets.

(AP)