New Zealand trail Bangladesh despite Williamson ton

F.P. Report

Sylhet: Kane Williamson struck a defiant century Wednesday but was unable to put New Zealand in control in the first Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet.

The visitors reached 266-8 at stumps on the second day, still trailing Bangladesh by 44 runs in the first innings. Williamson hit 104 off 205 balls in his 29th Test century with 11 fours, before Taijul islam broke through his defence to bowl out the right-hander.

Taijul was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with 4-89, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Shoriful Islam and Mominul Haque claimed one wicket apiece.

Glenn Phillips scored 42 runs to boost Williamson in their 78-run sixth-wicket partnership — which dug the visitors out of a hole after they lost the top half of their batting order for 175 runs.

Occasional left-arm spinner Mominul forced Phillips to give a catch at slip, ending their partnership. Williamson took a single off Nayeem to complete his hundred off 189 balls, drawing him level with Don Bradman and Virat Kohli in terms of Test centuries.

Taijul redeemed himself for dropping Williamson at midwicket on 63 by taking the wicket of the former New Zealand captain and Ish Sodhi (0) in successive overs. Daryl Mitchell earlier rode his luck to reach 41 before he was stumped by Nurul Hasan, off Taijul’s bowling.

Mitchell, who put on 66 runs with Williamson for the fourth wicket, had nicked pacer Shoriful while batting on four. But Bangladesh did not review the caught-behind appeal, which was turned down by the on-field umpire.

New Zealand bowled out Bangladesh for 310 on the first ball of the morning when Tim Southee trapped last man Shoriful leg-before for 13. The Black Caps then got off to a fast start, the first three balls yielding 10 runs. Bangladesh’s spinners slowly took control to check the initial batting surge.

Taijul dismissed Tom Latham for 21, Nayeem taking the catch at fine leg. Fellow opener Devon Conway fell to off-spinner Mehidy two overs later after making 12. Debutant Shahadat Hossain took a brilliant one-handed catch, diving to his right at silly point after an inside edge hit Conway’s pad and popped up to the fielder.

Shoriful dismissed Henry Nicholls for 19 after lunch to leave New Zealand struggling at 98-3. The two-match series is the beginning of a new cycle in the World Test Championship for both teams.