1st Test: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Hamilton, 18-22 Dec 2001 CricInfo Live Report

1st Test: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Hamilton, 18-22 Dec 2001
Lynn McConnell

Pre-game: Day Two-start, Day 2 abandoned,
Live Reports from previous days

RAIN THE VICTOR AGAIN IN HAMILTON

Rain prevented anything other than the toss occurring for the second day of the first National Bank New Zealand-Bangladesh cricket Test in Hamilton today.

While the day dawned fine after the rain on the first day, there was hope that play could start at the earlier time of 11.30am.

Skippers Stephen Fleming (New Zealand) and Khaled Mashud (Bangladesh) got as far as completing the toss half an hour before play, the only positive occurrence on the day.

Rain set in as New Zealand was about to go out to bat after being asked by Mashud when he won the toss.

However, light rain that had been falling started to get heavier and the day never got started.

Ground attendants twice managed to start working at removing the covers but the showers returned.

At 3pm, the umpires, Tony Hill of New Zealand and David Orchard of South Africa, decided they would have another inspection of the ground at 5pm.

In the meantime another shower came over the ground and they finally abandoned the day at 3.38pm.

Play is scheduled to start at 11.30am tomorrow.

BANGLADESH WIN TOSS AND BOWL

New Zealand were sent in to bat by Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud after he won the toss on a gloomy Hamilton morning today.

The rain that wiped out the first day's play of the National Bank Test yesterday stopped mid-afternoon and held off overnight.

The day dawned fine, if muggy, with a bank of dark cloud to the south of the city.

But by the time of the toss the cloud had moved closer to the ground and there was a threat of rain interfering in the first session.

As expected, Chris Drum was New Zealand's 12th man and the Bangladeshis named Fahim Muntasir Rahman as their 12th.

The umpires are, Tony Hill (New Zealand) and David Orchard (South Africa). The match referee is Barry Jarman.

The New Zealand team is: Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Chris Martin. Chris Drum.

The Bangladesh team for the first Test is: Khaled Mashud (captain), Al Sahariar, Aminul Islam, Habibul Bashar, Javed Omar, Khaled Mahmud, Manjural Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Sharif, Sanwar Hossain.