Pallekele (Sri Lanka), Sep 21 (IANS) New Zealand beat Bangladesh by 59 runs in the Group D opener of the World Twenty20 cricket at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium here Friday.

Put into bat, New Zealand raced to 191 for three as wicket-keeper batsman Brendon McCullum struck 123.

In reply, Bangladesh could only manage 132 for eight. Nassir Hossain (50) scored the sole half-century of the Bangladeshi innings while Kyle Mills and Tim Southee clinched three-wickets each.