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The BLACKCAPS took the necessary five wickets required today to win the one off Test match by 121 runs against a spirited Bangladesh team at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
It was always going to be a tall order for Bangladesh to bat out the full day. With only one recognised batsman left in the pavilion, saving the test match would require something special from the tourists.
Starting at 88 for five, Shakib Al Husain and Mushfiqur Rahim looked steady and a lot more assured than their top-order had the night before. The pair successfully negotiated the first hour before Rahim was caught behind off Daryl Tuffey for 22.
At the other end Shakib continued his first innings form. The captain showed plenty of class and a fighting spirit that his top-order could do well to emulate in future. If the other Bangladesh batsmen had all shown this type of grit and determination, the Test result might have been have been different.
Mahmudullah backed up his first innings with 42. He was out when attempting to hit Jeetan Patel over mid-on, instead of a boundary he picked out a fully extended Daryl Tuffey who took a leapt to his left. Anyone else in the team and he probably would have been safe.
This dismissal exposed the frail Bangladesh tail. It also highlighted the Bangladeshis major flaw this tour; bucket-loads of talent, but impetuous stroke play and poor shot selection, which lets them down at key stages.
Going against the grain during this test, however, was Shakib. He brought up his maiden Test hundred, just after lunch. It was particularly deserved after being unluckily judged caught behind in the first innings. As a captain and player this tour has highlighted his growing reputation as a quality cricketer and his maiden century was a fitting end to the tour for him personally.
Unfortunately for Bangladesh, Shakhib’s moment in the sun was short lived, as he was bowled by Tim Southee two balls later without adding to his 100 runs.
With the Bangladesh tail now fully exposed it was only a matter of time before New Zealand dispatched the nervous looking lower order with Southee mopping up the last two wicket to finish with three for 41.
Spinners Jeetan Patel and Daniel Vettori chimed in with two apiece.
The win caps and excellent month of cricket for the BLACKCAP who won the Twenty20, ODI series and Test match against the tourists.
Day 4: BLACKCAPS in sight of victory
The BLACKCAPS have bowled themselves into a winning position after reducing Bangladesh to 88 for five at stumps on day four of the Test match at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
Resuming on nine for one this morning the BLACKCAPS batsmen started tentatively but got into their groove in the middle session before declaring on 258 for five shortly after tea - setting Bangladesh a massive target of 403 to win.
The normally aggressive Peter Ingram was the first wicket to fall after making a circumspect 13. He was the second run out victim with Imrul Kayes throwing down the stumps to send him on his way.
Ross Taylor and Tim McIntosh then combined to put on 72 runs for the third wicket before Taylor (51) cut a Mahmudullah long hop straight to point.
The loss of Taylor appeared to spark McIntosh into life as he hit a series of boundaries before becoming the third top order batsman to be run out. McIntosh innings ended on 89 and included six boundaries and three sixes.
All rounder Mahmudullah soon had his second victim when Daniel Vettori was adjudged LBW for 13 with first innings batting stars Martin Guptill (56*) and Brendon McCullum (18*) safely seeing out the remainder of the BLACKCAPS second innings.
It was a typically aggressive approach from the Bangladesh batsmen, with Tamim Iqbal blasting 30 off just 19 balls before becoming Vettori’s first scalp. His opening partner Junaid Siddique (8) went three overs later, in unfortunate circumstances, with the a Chris Martin ball rebounding off his arm, looping high in the air and landing on the top of the stumps.
A direct hit from Jeetan Patel saw the end of Aftab Ahmed for eight before Vettori had Mohammad Ashraful out LBW for two.
Patel capped of a dominant day for the BLACKCAPS when he bowled out Imrul Kayes for 29, leaving the home side in complete control.
Entry in free tomorrow with the BLACKCAPS requiring five wickets to win.
Day 3: Bangladesh fight back on day three
Bangladesh avoided the follow on thanks to seven wicket partnership of 145 runs between Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Mahmudullah on day three of the Test match at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
The morning session was completely dominated by the BLACKCAPS bowling line up with Tim Southee getting an early break through, removing opener Tamim Iqbal (68) after he was only able to add 12 runs to his overnight score.
Minutes later Chris Martin had Junaid Siddique for 21 before Daryl Tuffey snared Mohammad Ashraful (12) and Aftab Ahmed (33).
Daniel Vettori then had Mushfiqur Rahim for seven to leave the tourists looking vunerable at lunch on 211 for six.
However, the second session belonged to Bangladesh as Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah batted with good application to put some spine into the tourist’s innings.
Shakib Al Hasan was eventually caught behind off the bowling of Martin for a well compiled 87 while Mahmudullah kicked on to bring up his maiden Test century before being trapped in front by Vettori.
Mahmudullah batted for tick under three hours, hitting 17 boundaries and two sixes in his 115 and helped guide his team past the follow on.
The experienced duo of Martin and Vettori bagged three wickets each with Tuffey chiming in with two as the BLACKCAPS eventually rolled Bangladesh for 408 leaving them with an overall lead of 145.
The BLACKCAPS second innings got off to a horror start with BJ Watling run out for 1. Tim McIntosh (5*) and Peter Ingram (2*) will resume tomorrow.
New Zealand will be left ruing their inability to continue the momentum from the morning session and will be hoping to mop up the tail quickly and score some fast runs if there is to be any chance of a result.
Day 2: Record partnership puts BLACKCAPS in control
Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill put together a record partnership to put the BLACKCAPS in complete control on day two of the Test against Bangladesh at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
With the game finely balanced at the commencement of play, Guptill and McCullum quickly shifted the momentum in New Zealand’s favour with some patient, accurate and punishing batting.
First Guptill and then McCullum past 100. It was Guptill’s first century in Test cricket, and McCullum’s 4th in his 50th test. McCullum was particularly aggressive, blasting Shafiul Islam for six to bring up his ton.
Both fell halfway through the middle session but not before Guptill struck 189 and McCullum 185, setting a New Zealand record partnership of 339 for the sixth wicket and only 12 behind the world record.
VIDEO INTERVIEW: Martin Guptill talks exclusively to BLACKCAPS TV »
Daryl Tuffey added a quick unbeaten 31 while Jeetan Patel was left on 12 before Daniel Vettori declared at tea with an imposing 553 for seven on the board.
Rubel Hossain was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with five for 166.
If Bangladesh were daunted at all by the large total no-one told Tamim Iqbal and looked like he may have forgotten he was playing a Test match. He was in belligerent form, hitting 56 in 48 balls before light stopped play around 6:30pm.
Vettori took the only wicket to fall with Bangladesh resuming tomorrow on 87 for one.
Day 1: Evenly poised at the end day one
A gloomy day and rain welcomed the New Zealand and Bangladesh cricketers this morning at Seddon Park in Hamilton in the one off Test match, with play delayed by one hour.
VIDEO INTERVIEW: Chris Martin and BJ Watling talk before play »
After captain, Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and elected to bowl the Bangladeshi seamers, Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain, took advantage of the high humidity and greenish wicket with a lively opening spell. The strike bowlers ran through the BLACKCAPS top order to have the home side in trouble at 66 for three.
McIntosh was the first to go for seven with Watling and Ingram back in the pavilion for 13 and 42 respectively. Ingram, playing in his first Test match, was particularly aggressive, hitting seven boundaries and using just 47 deliveries.
The arrival of Ross Taylor at the crease seemed to settle the innings, until he played a loose shot and edged Rubel to keeper Mushfiqur Rahima for 40. Captain Daniel Vettori came and went quickly, leaving the BLACKCAPS teetering on 158 for five.
Vettori’s demise ushered Brendon McCullum to the crease. Playing in his 50th Test match McCullum joined Martin Guptill in the middle. Guptill, who had shared a 60 run partnership with Taylor, then took charge, and along with McCullum dominated the session after lunch.
The pair both bought up half centuries and took the New Zealand score to 250 for five when bad light stopped play around 6:30pm.
Honours are evenly shared, but Bangladesh will be looking for quick wickets tomorrow, with Guptill staring down a maiden test century sitting on 80 and McCullum on 58, and looking menacing.
