Another heavy home defeat
Sports Reporter
Bangladesh might have pushed the first Test against New Zealand into the fourth day but that was not enough to avoid yet another innings defeat. Resuming the penultimate morning on 41-2 and needing another 184 runs to make the tourists bat again, the Tigers crashed to 126 just after the lunch break at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. On a wearing pitch that turned and bounced, Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman shared nine wickets to destroy Bangladesh as Stephen Fleming's side took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with a innings and 99-run victory. It was Bangladesh's 17th innings defeat in 31 Tests and also their third in as may games against the Kiwis after humiliation inside three days at Hamilton and Wellington three years ago. The two sides will now travel to Chittagong for the second Test starting at the MA Aziz Stadium on October 26. The strong holiday crowd was once again treated to an all-too-familiar soap opera when the batting frailty of Bangladesh was exposed by some quality spin bowling. It was another forgettable morning for the home side as overnight batsman Rajin Saleh fell in the first over bowled by left-arm spinner Vettori. Rajin might feel unlucky being adjudged caught behind by debutant English umpire Mark Benson as TV replays showed that the ball had clearly missed the bat. But there was little doubt about the class of a bespectacled Vettori, who had the technically flawed Bangladeshi batsmen twisting and turning with almost every delivery. The home side lost their last six wickets in the space of 39 runs and after having a hearty lunch the Kiwis took just two minutes to consign Bangladesh to their 28th Test defeat. Except for Nafees Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful none of the other batsmen showed any application while at the crease. The pair added 46 runs for the fourth wicket, which was also the highest stand in Bangladesh's second innings. Debutant Nafees went on to score 49 but had to pay the price for attempting a risky second run. First innings half-centurion Ashraful (26) looked more compact until a ball from Vettori that bounced awkwardly took the edge of his bat into the safe hands of Scott Styris at slip. Alok Kapali disappointed again. Oblivious of the basic: never cut against the spin, the Sylhet right-hander tried to take on off-spinner Wiseman but only be caught for a duck. Stand-in-skipper Khaled Mashud (1) also failed for a change and Manzarul Islam (1) hung his bat in the air for a kiss of death. Bowling 22 overs from one end Vettori dismissed Tareq Aziz in the last ball before lunch to finish with 6-28. It was his eighth 5-wicket haul. Wiseman ably supported him with 3-64. Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum was adjudged man-of-the-match for his maiden Test century, a fine 143, and six catches.
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