Bangladesh get credit for lasting five days

BY SAM WORTHINGTON IN HAMILTON

Bangladesh's soft underbelly re-emerged last night as the tourists collapsed under the pressure of New Zealand's bowling attack and the hosts' sheer weight of runs.

New Zealand are set to comfortably wrap up the one-off test today but they've been made to sweat for four days – and not just by Hamilton's humid weather.

Small crowds have witnessed a far more absorbing contest than most had anticipated and Bangladesh deserve credit for the test stretching into the fifth day.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori certainly took no chances, setting Bangladesh 404 for victory, and the visitors will resume this morning staring down the barrel at 88-5. The history books were already stacked against Bangladesh pulling off a miracle and Vettori (2-24) then struck two crucial blows with the ball last night, removing Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful.

Bangladesh have never beaten New Zealand, losing seven and drawing one of their eight tests to date and that record will continue.

So, things are back on track after the visitors gave New Zealand's bowlers a wake-up call with their first innings 408.

Bangladesh's tour was a disaster through the limited-overs section and, though they showed some overdue ticker in the first innings, their bad habits came back in the second.

The glass-half-full brigade will say it is a plus that New Zealand have been pushed into five days, a decent tune-up ahead of next week's visit from our cousins across the Tasman. More sceptical supporters will ask why this match isn't already over, in home conditions against a side languishing at the foot of the world rankings.

Run-rate wasn't an issue for Bangladesh, whose team has an average age of 23 and initially went after the target at breakneck speed.

Big-hitting opener Tamim cracked 30 from 19 balls before holing out attempting one big shot too many from Vettori.

It was a crucial scalp because two hours of Tamim could have given Bangladesh an outside sniff on a pitch still flat as a pancake.

A bemused Junaid Siddique (8) suffered a freak dismissal as a Chris Martin delivery looped high in the air off his arm guard and landed directly on the stumps.

Jeetan Patel ran out a dozy Aftab Ahmed (8) with a sharp swivel and throw, while the dreadfully out-of-sorts Ashraful wasted a review after being trapped plumb lbw by Vettori for 2.

Patel then took his first wicket of the match, bowling Imrul Kayes (29) with a lovely arm ball as the left-handed opener played for turn.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan (0 not out) and wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim (10 not out) are at the crease while first innings century-maker Mahmudullah is still to come.

Earlier, New Zealand advanced their cause from 9-1 overnight to 258-5 before pulling the pin in their second innings.

Three of their dismissals were runouts, all involving Tim McIntosh, who top-scored with 89.

McIntosh had two lives before being run out himself as Bangladesh's fielding continued to waver from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Despite the running woes, McIntosh's knock will surely secure his spot for the two-test series against Australia next month.

But test greenhorns BJ Watling and Peter Ingram had their chances of valuable time in the middle curtailed by mix-ups.

Martin Guptill's stocks continue to rise, the elegant right-hander hitting 56 not out to go with his majestic first innings 189, while Ross Taylor continued his consistent form with 51 before a tame dismissal.

New Zealand name their one-day and Twenty20 sides to play Australia today as attention turns to a tour that starts with a Twenty20 in Wellington next Friday.

- © Fairfax NZ News