Lynn McConnell
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1st Test: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Hamilton, 18-22 Dec 2001 Lynn McConnell |
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Bangladesh 2nd innings:
New Zealand 1st innings: Bangladesh 1st innings: |
After Bangladesh went to tea to cool down Khaled Mahmud, who had been on fire and looking like carrying Bangladesh past the mark, Bond came out to bowl a well-judged straight yorker to have Mashrafi bin-Murtaza leg before wicket for three.
And in his next over, Bond put the ball in the spot for Mahmud to attempt another hit over the field.
However, the field was spread to limit the damage from his assault and Mark Richardson proved safe at deep mid off and he held the catch to dismiss Mahmud for 45, scored in 46 minutes from 42 balls, and including six fours and two sixes.
Bond finished with four wickets for 47 runs.
Stephen Fleming immediately asked Bangladesh to follow on with 32 overs remaining to be bowled on the day.
Bangladesh went to tea on 199/8, with Mashud on 41 and Mashrafi Bin-Murtaza on two.
They went to tea needing 17 runs to avoid the follow on, having taken 43 runs off the last four overs of the session.
Joined by bin-Murtaza with the score on 156/8, Mashud launched into the fourth over of Craig McMillan's second spell to take 19 runs from it.
He raced to 30 off 23 balls as Chris Martin, who had been probably the most accurate of the New Zealand fast-medium attack, then conceded 11 runs in an over.
It was ironic that McMillan should suffer as it was his two quick wickets that set the Kiwi cat amonst the Bangladesh pigeons.
He had captain Khaled Mashud caught by Shane Bond for six and then had Sanwar Hossain caught off a steaming shot by Lou Vincent in the gully for 45.
Then, the previously wicketless Martin bowled Mohammed Sharif for a duck as three wickets fell for 10 runs in the space of 21 balls.
New Zealand's bowling has been a curious mixture with too much variance between short and full balls, and some innovative tactics have paid off for the Bangladeshis and the sight of Mahmud backing off to leg and putting the ball over the gully-point areas was hardly the most enjoyable sight for the Kiwi bowlers.
But he also drove superbly and was not afraid to hook the shorter balls. A fascinating few minutes after the tea break are in prospect.
Returning from lunch on 93/3, Bangladesh lost Mohammad Ashraful at 95 when he got an edge to a ball from Vettori which was taken by Mathew Sinclair at slip who completed a fine job of taking the catch after slipping and then having to lunge in a different direction to secure the catch.
The 100 came up as Chris Cairns bowled a tighter second spell but it was once Bond joined the attack that life became tougher for Bangladesh.
Bowling with good speed, Bond started finding edges that either fell just short or just beyond diving fieldsmen.
The Bangladesh batsmen kept life interesting for the fielders with a high risk factor associated with them.
Vettori chimed in by claiming the valuable wicket of Habibul Bashar for 61, scored off 84 balls with eight fours and one six.
By drinks, Bangladesh were 138/5 with Sanwar Hossain on 34 and Khaled Mashud on one.
Bond had two wickets for 37 runs from 10 overs, and was deserving of better given the chances he had created. Vettori had two for 20 from 11 overs.
He had Aminul Islam sparring at a ball from Bond outside the off stump which was well taken by a diving wicket-keeper Adam Parore to leave Bangladesh 92/3 just before lunch.
One more run was added before the break with Habibul Bashar unbeaten on 54 and Mohammad Ashraful still to score.
It ended a frustrating morning for New Zealand who had earlier declared their innings at 365/9.
Habibul Bashar raced to his seventh test 50 off only 38 balls when Bangladesh batted in their first innings of the National Bank Test against New Zealand today.
He put the New Zealand attack through the mill after coming to the wicket when two wickets were down for 32, forcing Chris Cairns out of the attack after his first six overs cost 41 runs.
The other wicket-taker Shane Bond was out of the attack after four overs with 20 runs.
Aminul Islam was very much the junior partner in the third-wicket stand which brought 50 runs up off 81 balls. Aminul scored 13 of the runs.
It took the introduction of Chris Martin and Craig McMillan to slow the rate of scoring down, although McMillan's last over proved one too many as Bashar hooked a ball for six and then took a single to end his four overs for 16 runs.
Martin was replaced by Daniel Vettori after five tidy overs for 10 runs.
Bond had improved figures at lunch with his six overs having two for 22.
Bangladesh batted after New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming declared his first innings closed on 365/9.
The diminutive Bangladesh batsmen were unflustered by the pace of the New Zealand attack which saw Shane Bond especially getting balls through at around 142km/hour.
Javed Omar was the first batsman dismissed, well caught by Mark Richardson at short leg, diving to his left from Chris Cairns' bowling. He was out for nine off 12 balls when the score was 24.
His opening partner Mohammad Al-Sahariar was out with the score on 32 when edging a ball from Shane Bond to Mathew Sinclair at second slip when he was on 15.
But Bashar was unfazed by the situation and went for his shots and one over from Cairns resulted in three fours, one square cut, one pulled and one edged past slips.
The 50 came up off 61 balls and by the time drinks were taken the score was 61/2 with Bashar on 35.
Cairns' first spell was expensive with his six overs costing 41 runs while Shane Bond bowled four overs for 20 runs. Both had a wicket each.
The objective for New Zealand on the fourth morning, but only the second day of play due to the rain earlier in the week, was clearly quick runs after it resumed at 306/5.
In the process, however, the home team lost Chris Cairns for 48, Mark Richardson (143), Daniel Vettori (0) and Adam Parore (20). Shane Bond faced two balls and scored four leaving Chris Martin still to appear with the bat for New Zealand this summer.
Richardson already had his highest Test score, but he reached 1000 runs in Test cricket in his 20th innings this morning, equalling John F Reid's New Zealand record for the number of innings but taking one Test longer to achieve the mark.
The morning proved productive for the Bangladesh bowlers as Mohammad Sharif, who started the day with none for 87, ended up with three for 114.
He got a ball through Chris Cairns' defences to bowl him and then bowled Adam Parore who had rattled on 20 runs from 20 balls.
Sharif also had an attacking Richardson caught and bowled when he failed to get onto a back foot drive.
Khaled Mahmud was the other wicket-taker having Daniel Vettori out leg before wicket.
Ninety-three overs remain to be bowled today and 105 tomorrow, assuming there are no interruptions for the weather.
New Zealand took the field without Nathan Astle who has a bruised right wrist after being injured while batting.
Bangladesh's bowling strength was reduced when Manjurul Islam suffered a hamstring injury yesterday as a result of the heavy outfield. He will not bowl again in the game and could be in doubt for the second Test.
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Date-stamped : 21 Dec2001 - 14:42