More than four months since his last match, Tim Southee showed his new ball ability remained firmly intact as New Zealand's ODI series against Bangladesh began in Dhaka last night.
Southee had not played for New Zealand since June 12 in the Champion Trophy tournament in England. Since then he'shad ankle surgery and has spent the past few weeks rehabilitating before a busy international season.
He got his first taste of action last night and in his opening five-over spell, in which he took two for eight, found plenty of swing with the new ball.
He was chiefly responsible for Bangladesh being in a hole at 25-3 before the end of the seventh over.
The hosts eventually reached a competitive 265, largely thanks to a spirited stand between captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Naeem Islam, who added 154 for the fourth wicket.
New Zealand won the toss and Southee was right on the job from the start.
He had lefthanded opener Tamim Iqbal lbw to a ball which swung in with his 12th delivery.
After Mominul Haque, scorer of two centuries in the drawn test series, was run out without facing a ball in a shocker of a mixup with Amanul Haque, Southee then had the other Haque edging to be caught at second slip.
He finished with three for 34 from his 10 overs. It was a highly encouraging start for the 24-year-old who is facing a busy time once the home international programme starts, with visits from the West Indies and India. Southee could have 37 days of home international cricket ahead of him.
He will have tougher days, and more demanding batsmen to come, but he would have been satisfied to have come through his return to the bowling crease in good shape.
Some of the other bowling was less eye-catching. Mitchell McClenaghan was too short too often and on a slow pitch offered easy pickings.
Medium pacers Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson were steady, apart from one poor over each. Neesham finished with four for 42.
Mushfiqur steadied a listing ship, always had an eye for a big shot, and was unafraid to hit over the top of the infield in an impressive 90 while Naeem - after scoring only a single off his first 29 balls - produced some spanking shots on his way to 84.
