Cricket: Colin Munro's ton leads Black Caps to victory

Black Caps player Colin Munro responds to the crowd after scoring a century in the T20 International between New Zealand and Bangladesh at Mt Maunganui. Photo/Alan Gibson

Buccaneering hitter Colin Munro became just the third New Zealander to hit an international T20 century at Bay Oval in the second match of the series against Bangladesh today.

Lefthander Munro joined Brendon McCullum (twice) and Martin Guptill as New Zealanders with a century to their name.

He got to his mark off just 52 balls, the equal 12th fastest to his century. Munro struck seven sixes and seven fours in his belligerent innings which propelled New Zealand to 195 for seven, their seventh best T20 total.

That was too much for Bangladesh, whose chase got off to a bad start and ended at 148, giving New Zealand a 47-run victory.

The win gives New Zealand the T20 series with one match to play, at the same venue, on Sunday. It also extends to 18 the number of matches lost by Bangladesh against New Zealand in all forms in New Zealand.

The only resistance came in an entertaining 68-run stand for the fourth wicket in just 6.4 overs from Sabbir Rahman (48) and Soumya Sarkar (39) but that was Bangladesh's lot.

The innings was highlighted by a spectacular diving catch by Mitchell Santner at long on, running and hurling himself to his right to dismiss Mossadek Hossain.

Kane Williamson served up a half tracker and should be buying his young allrounder a meal tonight.

It was a bad day for New Zealand wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi.

He was out first ball of the match, spearing a catch to backward point, then strained a groin muscle early in Bangladesh's innings and had to be replaced.

Earlier, man of the match Munro and newbie Tom Bruce shared an innings-reviving stand of 123 in just 11.1 overs after Bangladesh had done a good early job, having won the toss and sent New Zealand in.

It is the second best fourth wicket stand in T20 cricket, behind Glenn Maxwell and David Warner's 161 against South Africa.

New Zealand lost Ronchi, captain Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson in quick order, to be 48 for three.

However Munro went on the offensive and found a good ally in the tall, muscular Bruce, who finished on an impressive unbeaten 59 off 39 balls.

Bangladesh were unable to stem the run flow and the batsmen went on a tear.

At one point, Munro scored 39 runs in just nine balls in the course of the 12th and 13th overs. His century means New Zealand have scored more international T20 hundreds than any other country.

Bangladesh's fielding got ragged as the runs piled on. Fast-medium Rubel Hossain was the most successful of the tourists' bowlers with three for 37. Shakib al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman were the pick of them.