NZ vs BD, 1st Test, Day 4, Tea: Tigers take two Kiwi wickets to keep control of the game
At tea on day four, New Zealand were still 62 runs behind with four sessions to play as Bangladesh kept things tidy with the ball.
New Zealand lost the wickets of Tom Latham and Devon Conway in the afternoon session of the ongoing Mount Maunganui Test match after conceding a 130-run lead against Bangladesh.
At tea on day four, New Zealand were still 62 runs behind with four sessions to play as Bangladesh kept things tidy with the ball.
Earlier, the visitors added 57 runs to their overnight total before losing the remaining four wickets in the second half of the morning session. They took a sizeable lead after bundling the hosts out for 328 in the first innings. It was a marathon effort from the Black Caps bowlers as they sent down as many as 176.2 overs. It was the first time Bangladesh took a lead after electing to field first on winning the toss.
New Zealand were just four overs away from the second new ball when they started proceedings on day four. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, unbeaten overnight on 20, was given out not once but twice inside those four overs by the on-field umpire but DRS saved the all-rounder on both occasions.
Trent Boult and Tim Southee took the third new ball for the hosts and it swung more prodigiously than the previous ones. But New Zealand bowlers couldn't trouble Miraz and Yasir Ali in the first hour. Both of them drove well down the ground and played well square of the wicket. Miraz played the role of the aggressor in the partnership. His square drive on the off-side off the back foot against Boult was probably the best shot of the morning session. Couple of overs earlier, he got the lead past 100 with a tickle down the leg-side for a boundary off Boult.
Southee was a bit wayward with the third new ball as well, forcing Tom Latham to replace him with Kyle Jamieson after three overs. Change of ends worked for Southee as he came back a few overs later to replace Boult and immediately got his reward. Miraz threw his bat at a short and wide ball, only succeeding in nicking the ball to the keeper. He played an important knock of 47. His partnership with Yasir yielded 75 runs.
Jamieson too picked up his first wicket shortly after that as Yasir was caught behind down the leg-side for 26.
Bangladesh lost the remaining two wickets quickly after that and were all-out for 458. Boult finished with a four-wicket haul for the Black Caps. Mominul Haque, the captain, led from the front with a patient 88. There were significant contributions from Liton Das, Mahmudul Hasan Joy as well as Miraz late on day three and early on day four.
Taskin Ahmed struck in the fifth over after lunch as he cleaned up New Zealand captain Latham. The southpaw could not register a big score in the first innings as well and it was a rare double-innings failure for him.
Bangladesh bowlers kept things tight as the pitch offered some variable bounce. Shoriful Islam troubled Devon Conway multiple times. The left-hander did not look as comfortable as the first innings. Ebadot Hossain too bowled with pace and tested Will Young but the opener grounded the first hour of the afternoon session out without any damage..
Ebadot got his reward as he removed the centurion of the first innings Conway for just 13. It was the third time an on-field decision was overturned in favour of the tourists by the DRS on day four although they wasted two early in the afternoon session.
At the stroke of tea, Young was dropped on 31 by Liton off Miraz.
New Zealand went into tea at 68 for two. Young was unbeaten on 32 and Ross Taylor on four.