Bangladesh coach Domingo upset after DLS fiasco

Russell Domingo
Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo. Photo: AFP

Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo cut a frustrated figure after his side started their run chase in Tuesday's second Twenty20 International (T20I) against New Zealand without knowing what tally they needed to win and criticised the conduct of the match officials.

A downpour brought a premature end to New Zealand's innings on 173/5 following which the big screen at McLean Park and the ICC website said Bangladesh's target under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system was 148 in 16 overs.

Play was then halted nine deliveries into Bangladesh's chase and they were apprised of their new target -- 170 runs in 16 overs, which was later changed to 171 after the 13th over, according to ESPNCricinfo.

The visitors eventually fell well short of the tally they needed to keep the three-match series alive.

"I don't think I have been involved in a game before where batters go out and don't know what the target is," Domingo said. "Nobody had any idea of how many we needed after five or six overs.

"I don't think the game should have started until it was finalised, before there was a clear indication of what is required, and what we needed at certain stages. I don't quite think the conduct was good enough this evening.

"(When we met the match referee) they were still waiting for calculations. If you are waiting, the game can't start. What was explained was they normally get it one or two balls in... No excuses, but this is just very frustrating."

A spokesperson for the ICC said an operational issue at the ground meant the DLS sheets, which contain the target scores at different points of the innings, could not be provided to the teams.

"The target score was verbally communicated to the umpires at the start of the innings," the spokesperson told ESPNCricinfo. "However, play had to be halted after 1.3 overs as the teams requested for the DLS sheet.

"Play resumed once the sheets were provided to the teams."

The final match in the series takes place at Eden Park in Auckland on Thursday.

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