New Zealand vs Bangladesh, 1st Test, Day 3 preview: Another long day awaits tourists at Seddon Park

New Zealand vs Bangladesh, 1st Test, Day 3 preview: Another long day awaits tourists at Seddon Park

New Zealand, Bangladesh, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham,

New Zealand are in firm control of the first Test against Bangladesh, at Seddon Park, Hamilton. At stumps on Day Two they are 217 ahead in the first innings with 6 wickets in hand. Kane Williamson, who has looked fluent during his 93, will resume batting in the morning.

Providing Williamson company is night-watchman Neil Wagner. The fact that New Zealand opted for a night-watchman ahead of the redoubtable BJ Watling and the explosive Colin de Grandhomme is indication of the fact that they want to pile up a big score and not go for an aggressive declaration at this point.

The Bangladeshis had a tough day out. The inexperience of their seamers – three men with a combined experience of 4 Tests and 10 wickets – showed on the field, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz did little as the sole specialist spinner. New Zealand may aim for a lead of 400 or even more, and given how they bowled, this attack does not seem capable of stopping them.

The New Zealand seamers – Wagner (5/47) in particular – had shot out Bangladesh for 234 on Day One. Tamim Iqbal had scored 126 of these runs. The inexperienced Bangladesh attack could not find a way to break through as Jeet Raval and Tom Latham took New Zealand to 86 without loss by stumps.

The pair made merry on the second morning. Raval brought up his maiden Test hundred in 163 balls, just before lunch. At lunch New Zealand were 197 without loss. Shortly after play resumed, Latham followed Raval to the three-figure mark, off 170 balls. This was ninth Test hundred.

Miraz, fantastic on familiar home surfaces, was expected to lead the attack. He was treated with disdain by the openers. Raval lofted him into the stands over square-leg. Latham followed soon with a six over long-on off a good-length ball. Miraz pitched up the next ball, and was driven through cover to the fence. Later in the day, Latham hit him straight into the stands.

New Zealand went past the Bangladesh score before a wicket fell. As the shoulders dropped, Mahmudullah brought himself on as the sixth bowler. Raval (132 in 220 balls, 19 fours, 1 six) obliged almost immediately, hitting straight to mid-wicket, bringing an end to the 254-run stand.

Latham (161 in 248 balls, 17 fours, 3 sixes) eventually edged Soumya Sarkar – ironically, the man who had dropped him on nought – to slip. By then Latham had added 79 with Williamson, off just 88 balls. This was the second wicket of Sarkar’s 13-Test career. Shortly afterwards he trapped Ross Taylor leg-before.

Williamson (93 not out in 132 balls, 9 fours) and Henry Nicholls (53 in 81) never bothered to play with caution despite the two quick wickets. Nicholls was bowled two overs before stumps when he shouldered arms to a straight ball from Miraz.

Brief scores:

Bangladesh 234 (Azhar Ali 126; Tim Southee 3/76, Neil Wagner 5/47) trail New Zealand 451/4 (Jeet Raval 132, Tom Latham 161, Kane Williamson 93*, Henry Nicholls 53; Soumya Sarkar 2/57) by 217 runs.